Ed Sheeran calls situation in Gaza ‘unjustifiable’ in first concert since Macklemore controversy

Fans attending Saturday’s concert were notified Friday that the show would begin at 8 p.m., rather than 5:30 p.m., as originally scheduled.

Friends Karen Mossop, 59, and Karen Macort, 62, said they were there to experience only one artist — Sheeran.

Mossop defended the artist and said he just “got caught up in a really negative campaign.”

“Because he’s a really nice guy, he didn’t realize the ramifications of what would happen,” Mossop said.

Though she said she wasn’t bothered by the canceled opening acts, she questioned those artists’ professionalism.

“You’re here to see the headliner, not really so much the opening act,” Mossop said. “It’s a shame that the opening acts quit. They’re supposed to be professionals, and they should have acted professionally.”

Alexandria Rasa, 27, of neighboring New Jersey, said she was excited to experience her second Sheeran concert and that she also didn’t mind the lack of opening acts.

“I just really came for Ed Sheeran,” Rasa said. “I don’t really care about his opening acts, so that didn’t really affect me.”

Friend Hannah Luster, 26, also of New Jersey, was focused on the task at hand — basking in the music.

“[I’m] definitely going to enjoy it, probably going to take a video or two,” she said.

Dale Dietrich, 46, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was standing in the stadium with the hope that Taylor Swift, who has been known to join Sheeran on stage, and vice-versa, might appear with him Saturday night.

“Ed needs to be rescued,” he said, referring to fallout from Macklemore’s departure, “and there’s probably one person that can really do it.”

Friend Jeanine Fusik, 47, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, agreed. “I am just really hoping, like Dale said, that Taylor comes out on stage to save Ed here,” she said.

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