Ed Sheeran Taps Isaac Slade as Surprise Atlanta Opener

Ed Sheeran walked out in Atlanta with a surprise in tow. Former The Fray frontman Isaac Slade opened his Loop Tour show on 3 October at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Slade was listed on the night as a ‘Special Guest’, according to Us Magazine. He played a short set before Sheeran took the stage. He played two songs. The songs were The Fray’s “How to Save a Life” and “You Found Me”, according to Billboard.

The pairing was not entirely new. Slade had joined Sheeran on stage in Toronto in August during the same tour to perform “How to Save a Life”. Sheeran said he had been a fan of Slade’s music and songwriting when he was a teenager.

The Atlanta appearance follows a run of changes to the United States leg of the Loop Tour. Macklemore had opened Sheeran’s 4 and 5 September shows at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. At those shows he performed “Hind’s Hall” and called for “Free Palestine”. He had been scheduled to open several later dates, including Atlanta.

Sheeran said Macklemore was then removed from the line-up. He said the decision was made by the tour’s promoter after venues indicated they would not allow the shows to go ahead with Macklemore on the bill. That account was reported by Billboard.

The removal prompted further departures. Support acts Aaron Rowe, Finneas and Lukas Graham withdrew from the tour. Sheeran’s backing band Beoga also left. Sheeran played his 19 September show in Philadelphia without an opening act.

In Philadelphia, Sheeran told the crowd he wanted his shows to centre on “love, hope and unity”. He also acknowledged suffering in both Israel and Gaza. Macklemore has since launched his own headlining Free Palestine Tour, with dates sold out.

In Atlanta, Slade also spoke about the war in Gaza. He urged the audience to seek common ground.

For fans tracking the tour, the Atlanta show gives the run a new shape. The guest slot is filled again, if only for one night, and the music is back at the centre of the evening.