concert

PHILADELPHIA — Ed Sheeran opened a solo concert in Philadelphia on Saturday with comments about Gaza, saying what’s happening is “catastrophic and unjustifiable.”

“My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, of children’s lives,” Sheeran said at his nighttime performance at Lincoln Financial Field.

Sheeran also said he wants his music and shows to be about unity and humanity, not politics.

He then addressed the controversy that unfolded since his supporting acts withdrew in solidarity with opener Macklemore, who was dropped from the tour after making pro-Palestinian comments onstage.

Sheeran has performed much of his Loop Tour concerts solo, but he had been joined for several songs at each stop by the Irish folk band Beoga. Macklemore, Sheeran’s original U.S. opener, had been replaced by Danish band Lukas Graham and Irish singer Aaron Rowe before they backed out.

Finneas, Billie Eilish’s brother and musical collaborator, was due to tour with Sheeran in South America later this year before he too dropped out earlier this week.

As of Saturday afternoon, tickets were still available for the show, and Sheeran’s website did not list any replacement acts.

Earlier a group of about 50 pro-Palestinian demonstrators congregated outside the stadium before the show. Hillary Steinberg, 34, of Philadelphia, said she got tickets a year ago but wound up getting a refund and attending the demonstration instead, disappointed that Sheeran had not taken a stand.

“I was, until this week, a big Ed Sheeran fan,” Steinberg said. “I think all art is political, and all music is political, and so this choice — even though he was saying that he wasn’t complicit — is a political choice.”

The show comes after a tumultuous week that opened with Macklemore being dropped in response to exclaiming “Free Palestine!” during a Sept. 5 show in New Jersey. Sheeran has said he was not responsible for the decision, which came at the urging of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. His company owns a stadium where Sheeran’s tour was scheduled to play Friday.

Within hours of Sheeran’s statement Tuesday, his supporting acts withdrew.

Diane Savitz, a 53-year-old concertgoer from Stroudsburg, Pa., got her tickets to the show months ago and is a big Sheeran fan. She said she does not think that he did anything wrong or that a concert is the place for politics.

“A concert should be for people enjoying the music. Music should bring people together,” Savitz said. “Everyone has their right to freedom of speech, but not every platform is the place for it.”

Macklemore said Wednesday he is donating $1 million to support Palestinian relief efforts and called on Kraft to match the gift; a spokesperson for Kraft has said the billionaire and Sheeran have each agreed to donate $2 million but have not specified where the money will be directed. Sheeran’s representatives have not responded to multiple requests for comment.

Sheeran’s Loop Tour was the highest-grossing in the world, with an average box office gross of over $7 million per city, Pollstar said in May. Through the end of 2025, Sheeran was the No. 3 top-earning concert act since 2021.

Sheeran has said the tour promoter was ultimately responsible for the decision to drop Macklemore.

The Grammy winner was adamant in his Tuesday statement that he wouldn’t be drawn into discussion of the war in Gaza, arguing that his fans don’t come to his shows to hear about these issues.

He also said he “spoke with the venues at length all week to try to build a bridge” before Macklemore was dropped. He insisted he would never willingly let down his fans or abandon the touring crew and others who rely on him to make a living.

While promoters and venues wield great power over concert tours, experts say an artist of Sheeran’s magnitude generally has the final say about what happens concerning the shows.

Sheeran told the crowd in Philadelphia that everyone is welcome at his concerts, and they can have opposing points of view while still singing his songs, which are about “love, hope, and unity.”

Vejpongsa writes for the Associated Press. AP journalist Jessica Hill in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

MIS-TEEQ sent fans wild at their reunion gig on Saturday night, as original member Zena McNally joined the girl group on stage to perform their debut single.

The highly-anticipated show saw Alesha Dixon, Sabrina Washington and Su-Elise Nash regroup for a comeback performance at London’s OVO Wembley Arena.

And fans were treated to an extra hit of noughties nostalgia as OG member Zena took to the stage as a special surprise guest.

Zena was only part of Mis-Teeq for the band’s first year, just appearing on their debut single, Why?

She left in 2001 and attempted to launch a solo career, only releasing two songs, before becoming a DJ for Radio 1 Xtra and eventually moving to the US with her then beau, US soccer [football] player, Cory Gibbs, who she married in 2008 but split from in 2014.

Since her divorce, her work has included being an entertainment manager in LA, as well as working as the director of a property investment company.

NO MIS-TEEQ WE’RE READY

Mis-Teeq ‘to put on performance of a lifetime’ at huge one-off show

comin’ back strong

Mis-Teeq in talks to reunite ahead of band’s 25th anniversary

But as the group welcomed her to the stage at Wembley on Saturday night, their excitement to be back together as a four-piece was palpable.

Zena looked stunning in a black leather ensemble and hugged the other three ladies as she arrived on stage, with Alesha seen jumping up and down at the reunion in The Sun’s exclusive video.

“How beautiful is Zena?” she exclaimed, before telling the crowd: “You didn’t see that one coming did you?”

Alesha went on the explain that they didn’t want to perform the song that launched them unless Zena sang it with them.

She said: “We could not sing this song without our girl, who, as the day one’s know, is in the video.

“Her vocals are still on the record – she had a sweet voice!”

Alesha turned to Zena and said: “The fans are always talking about you!

“I don’t think they think we like each other – we love each other!”

Zena affirmed that there was no bad blood between the girls, saying: “It’s all love!”

She added: “I want to thank you for having me here tonight – such a special moment.

“I’m hoping you’ll have fun with this – let’s do it!”

The ladies then sat in a line on four stools and delivered their track Why? for the adoring crowd.

The reasons behind Zena’s abrupt 2001 departure have been widely speculated, and the former Mis-Teeq queen has kept relatively tight-lipped.

The only occasion she seemed to shed any light on the split was in an 2010s blog post by writer and speaker Anika Allen where Zena spoke of her initial joy of being in a group before things soured.

She said: “Everything was fine in the beginning and it fun. But as time went on, I began to notice an imbalance in the group as the other members [Sabrina and Alesha] had been their first.”

Sabrina continued: “I felt they were focused on a bit more by the production team, who were suppressing my ideas. I write a lot also. We’re a team, but there was no compromising. I became unhappy.”

The 2026 reunion show has been nine months in the making, since the group announced their comeback at the start of 2026, with The Sun revealing this week that it would be an extraordinary gig for the fans.

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of their debut album Lickin’ On Both Sides, the Scandalous singers locked themselves inside Soundstage Studios in North London in the days leading up to the gig.

“This concert means everything to Alesha, Su-Elise and Sabrina and they have been working so hard to put on the performance of a lifetime,” an insider explained.

The trio performed live together in May, delivering a medley of their hits at the final of Britain’s Got Talent, and sang again as the surprise guests during Capital’s Summertime Ball, thrilling the 80,000-strong crowd.

The insider continued: “When they reunited at BGT and Summertime Ball, they loved being back performing together but they have taken it up a notch for their Wembley concert.

“This past week they’ve been pushing themselves in rehearsals to make sure their moves are flawless.”

The noughties group had seven consecutive top-10 singles and two top-ten albums across US, Europe, Asia and Australia, including their double platinum second album Eye Candy which was released in March 2003.

In spite of this success, the group would disband 2005 while recording their never-released third album, with all three members turning their focus on their respective solo careers.

Céline Dion’s first concert in years delighted fans, with the Canadian singer crying as she made an emotional comeback to the stage.

It was Dion’s first full concert in six years after she was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome, which forced her to cancel tours.

Joyful fans spilled out of the Paris La Défense Arena on Saturday night singing and dancing to her classic hits, while some were still wiping away tears.

Paris correspondent Hugh Schofield went along and reflects on getting swept up in the Dion dalliance that French fans are calling “the biggest comeback since Charles de Gaulle”.

MIS-TEEQ will reunite for a one-off 25th anniversary concert next Saturday – and have hand-picked a special line-up of UK garage artists to warm up the crowd.

Insiders told The Sun Alesha Dixon, Sabrina Washington and Su-Elise Nash want the show to bring a party atmosphere to London’s OVO Arena Wembley.

We understand the supporting acts are Damage, Egypt, Kele Le Roc, Malika, Gracious Kay and Monsta Boy and Rampage Sound – who are presenting the acts on stage.

A source said: “This concert is all about celebration for Mis-Teeq and they knew they wanted to have multiple acts to really whip the audience up.

“They’ve secured Damage, Egypt, Kele Le Roc, Malika, Gracious Kay, Monsta Boy and Rampage Sound.

“It’s going to be off the charts.”

Tickets have already sold out, as excitement builds for their reunion following their huge performance at Capital’s Summertime Ball in June.

Alesha and Su-Elise, both 47, and Sabrina, 45, confirmed they were reuniting for a one-off show in May, after The Sun exclusively revealed their plans earlier this year.

Speaking about their return, Alesha said: “We’ve been offered reunion stuff over the years, but it’s never felt right. 

“This time, everything just lined up. “It feels like it is just slotting back into place.”

The band’s reunion is to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their debut album, Lickin’ On Both Sides.

The record, which came out in October 2001, peaked at No3 in the Official Album Charts and bagged them five Top Ten singles including All I Want, One Night Stand and B With Me.

The Sun were first to reveal in January that the band would be getting back together.

After oohing and aahing over “The Odyssey,” it’s time for the hot summer splash to make way for an intriguing fall lineup.

At the movies, Alexander Skarsgård plays a sexy wicker husband. Tom Cruise, a bizarro oil man. Jenna Ortega, a robot friend, and Kendall Roy, ahem, Jeremy Strong, is Mark Zuckerberg. Then we revisit classics of various stripes on the small screen, from a further-future “Blade Runner” to “A Different World” relaunch to “East of Eden” to “Pride and Prejudice.”

For new books, it’s an Emily fest. Emily St. John Mandel’s “Exit Party,” based in Los Angeles, is being called her best work since “Station Eleven.” And Emily Wilson, “The Odyssey” translator who launched 1,000 hot takes, lets us inside her process. As for arts, directors steal the spotlight: the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens with 20 inaugural exhibitions and a collection of David Lynch’s L.A. photography fills a local gallery.

Bookmark this page and come back daily this week as we share even more of the best of fall. — Brittany Levine Beckman

J. Cole’s concert in Sacramento was canceled Thursday, following the death of a crew member.

The tour stop at Golden 1 Center was nixed after a member of the rapper‘s crew was involved in a deadly crash earlier that day.

The venue and concert promoter Live Nation shared the news on social media.

“Following the tragic passing of a member of the touring crew in a trucking accident this morning, J. Cole’s performance at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento tonight, August 27, has been canceled,” the statement read. “Our thoughts are with the crew member’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”

According to the Sacramento Bee, California Highway Patrol said that around 6 a.m., a touring member driving a big rig crashed on Interstate 5 in Yolo County, when the semitruck drifted onto the right shoulder and tried to return to the road off southbound I-5 and overturned south of Zamora. The crew member died at the scene, according to police.

Per the outlet, the big rig was transporting touring equipment from Tuesday night’s Seattle show.

The Yolo County Coroner’s Office told the Sacramento Bee that the driver was identified as Jarlath Parkinson, 66, of Jackson, S.C.

The exact cause of the crash is unknown. “May have been a distraction or fell asleep. Unfortunately, the solo occupant did not survive the crash,” Sgt. David Barker of the California Highway Patrol said.

Parkinson, who went by “Chip,” shared his adventures as an entertainment specialist truck driver on social media. His wife, Regina, posted a photo of the two on Friday morning with the caption, “The love of my life.” Parkinson leaves behind three children and three grandchildren.

According to Live Nation, concertgoers who purchased their tickets through Ticketmaster can expect an automatic refund while those who bought tickets through third-party resellers were told to contact their point of purchase.

J. Cole’s tour is in support of his seventh album, “The Fall-Off,” and he’s slated to play Oakland for a two-night run over the weekend. The show will come to Los Angeles and Inglewood for four shows next week.

Representatives for J. Cole did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment.

Gladys Knight has announced she’s gearing up to embrace the next phase of her life and career at 82.

The announcement comes after recent performances raised alarm with fans and staff worried about the storied singer’s health.

“After much soul searching I’ve decided that I will be easing into fewer performances while focusing on transitioning into the next stage of my career and life moving forward,” Knight said via Instagram on Thursday.

Knight said she’ll be spending more time on projects with her husband and manager; William McDowell, 68; and visiting with her grandchildren.

“I’d like to take a moment, in advance, to thank all my fans over this last three quarters of a century for making a little girl’s dream come true and supporting her every step of the way,” she continued. “I am immensely grateful to all of you and send my eternal love back to you. … I hope to see your smiling faces out and about and on the road.”

Her publicity team declined further comment Friday.

During her Aug. 18 show in Detroit, Knight took several breaks. And back in July at the Hollywood Bowl, the Grammy-winner seemed to lose her place while belting, “Midnight Train to Georgia,” one of her signature songs.

Backup singers appeared to come to the rescue more than once, guiding the singer back toward the stage as she wandered off and filling in when the lyrics to her classic soul hits seemed to escape her.

In an interview with the Shade Room last year, Knight’s son, Shanga Hankerson, claimed McDowell pushed the singer into performing and manipulates her.

Hankerson said that he drove to North Carolina to see his mom and was kept from being alone with her. He subsequently filed a complaint with the state Department of Health and Human Services.

“I noticed that William would always chime in, make sure that I didn’t get to speak with her by myself or by herself,” he said.

During a performance, Hankerson said he was concerned watching as his mom, who’s been performing for 75 years, fumbled through the set.

“The band played two or three extra bars, and she zoned out. The background singer started singing, and that brought her back. They’re having to rewind the teleprompters because my mom is forgetting to even look at them,” he said.