Without Macklemore and abandoned by 4 openers, Ed Sheeran calls on The Fray's ex-frontman, who sings 'How to Save a Life' and asks for 'middle ground'

Ed Sheeran found a way not to take the stage alone. At Saturday's (Oct. 3) show at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the surprise opener was Isaac Slade, former frontman of The Fray. He played a short set of the band's hits, including 'How to Save a Life' and 'You Found Me', before introducing the headliner.

The invitation comes amid the biggest crisis of the 'Loop Tour'. Macklemore was removed from the tour after two shows at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium in which he wore a keffiyeh and made pro-Palestine statements. Four opening acts — Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham and Beoga — then left the tour in solidarity with the rapper. Onstage, Slade addressed it: 'What's happening over there is wrong, but if we're going to get through it, we're going to need people to step into that middle place.'

It is not the first time the two have shared a night: Slade had joined Sheeran onstage in Toronto in August, and the British star often cites The Fray as an early influence. The singer left the band in 2022 to focus on his mental health. The U.S. leg wraps on Nov. 7 in Tampa, and the 'Loop Tour' then heads through Latin America until Dec. 11 in Mexico City.