PHILADELPHIA — Ed Sheeran acknowledged making "mistakes" and condemned the "catastrophic" situation in Gaza during his first U.S. concert since controversy over rapper Macklemore's removal from his tour.
Sheeran performed at Lincoln Financial Field Stadium on Saturday night. Several support acts and his backing band had dropped out of remaining tour dates following the removal of Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, after he made comments about the conflict in Gaza.
Addressing the audience, Sheeran said he had to "take and make difficult decisions." He acknowledged, "I am making mistakes and I'm so, so sorry for them." He said he did not want to disappoint fans and had never wanted to be an "activist musician," but that the situation had placed him "in the middle of an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet."
"This is a humanitarian issue, and I cannot hide about how I feel about it anymore," Sheeran said.
He described the Oct. 7 attack in Israel and at the Nova music festival as "horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain." He characterized the situation in Gaza as "catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate," saying his heart had "been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilian lives, children's lives."
"The systemic injustice we are seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked," he added.
Sheeran became emotional during his remarks. He told concertgoers, "I am honestly so grateful that you're here tonight with me," emphasizing that the concert remained "a place where everyone is welcome and everyone here can stand beside people that have opposing views."
Mid-show, Sheeran said he had been unsure "what this audience would be like" before the performance, wondering whether crowds might be "angry" with him.
Attendees outside the venue expressed support for the musician. James Webber IV from Scranton, Pennsylvania, said, "I stand with Ed. I think there's a time for politics and a music concert is not one of those places." His father, James Webber III, added, "Everything will be fine. In a couple of months this will blow over. He doesn't deserve this."
Kassandra Rivera from Philadelphia said, "Everyone has their own opinion and it's fine. I came here to have a good time and watch Ed Sheeran. I've been waiting a whole year to come and see him, so I'm excited to see the show."
Dwayne Smith from Canada said, "We're just here for Ed Sheeran. All politics aside, we just like the music. We are here to support him."
A small pro-Palestine protest was observed outside the venue.
