Ed Sheeran Hires Isaac Slade as Atlanta Opener After Supporting Acts Quit

Ed Sheeran brought out former Fray frontman Isaac Slade as a guest opener for his concert in Atlanta following the departure of Macklemore and other support acts.

FTMQ Music, written by our newsroom5 October 2026 at 01:010 views

Singer Ed Sheeran featured Isaac Slade, the former lead vocalist of the band The Fray, as a special guest opener for his concert in Atlanta on October 3, 2026. Rolling Stone and Billboard both reported that Slade opened the performance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium as Sheeran resumed his ongoing Loop Tour. [1][2][3][4][5][6]

The addition follows the exit of rapper Macklemore from the tour lineup, which led to subsequent departures by supporting acts Finneas, Aaron Rowe, and Lukas Graham, according to Rolling Stone. Sheeran subsequently played a show without any opening act on September 19 in Philadelphia. [1][2][4]

Slade is an American musician who served as the lead singer, pianist, and main songwriter for the Colorado rock band The Fray. His appearance came after Sheeran had extra time to recruit a new opener when a nor'easter forced the cancellation of scheduled concerts in Massachusetts last week, Rolling Stone reported. [1][7]

Ed Sheeran selected Isaac Slade as a guest opening act for his Loop Tour concert in Atlanta.
The performance took place on October 3, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Supporting acts Macklemore, Finneas, Aaron Rowe, and Lukas Graham previously exited the tour.

Sources

Every paragraph above points to the numbered items it rests on. Read the originals here.

[1]Ed Sheeran Enlists the Fray’s Former Singer Isaac Slade to Open Atlanta ShowRolling Stone, 6h ago (the report this story comes from)
[2]Ed Sheeran Taps Former Fray Singer Isaac Slade as Atlanta Opener After Macklemore Dropped, Support Acts QuitBillboard, 8h ago
[3]The Fray’s Isaac Slade Joins Ed Sheeran as His ‘Special Guest’ at Concert After Macklemore Controversyusmagazine.com, 23h ago
[4]Ed Sheeran enlists surprise guest Isaac Slade after support acts ditched tour over Macklemore falloutThe Independent, 12h ago
[5]Ed Sheeran Enlists the Fray’s Former Singer Isaac Slade to Open Atlanta ShowIMDb, 5h ago
[6]Ed Sheeran enlists surprise guest Isaac Slade after support acts ditched tour over Macklemore falloutAOL.com, 12h ago

Background

[7]Isaac Slade on Wikipedia
[8]That Christmas on Wikipedia
[9]The Real Housewives of Atlanta on Wikipedia

Our newsroom writes these reports with the help of software, from the 9 sources listed and nothing else, and checks them against those sources. Facts can still be wrong or move on; the originals are the record. Spotted a mistake? Write to daniel@monsterkong.com.

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