Ed Sheeran opened his Philadelphia concert on Saturday by addressing the recent turmoil surrounding his U.S. tour, telling the audience he was sorry for “making mistakes.” The English pop star also described the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable,” following a controversy that led to the removal of opening act Macklemore and subsequent withdrawals by other performers.
The incident traces back to earlier this week when Macklemore announced he had been dropped from the tour. The rapper had made pro-Palestinian remarks during a show in New Jersey, stating his desire to stand on American stages and say “Free Palestine.” He further clarified to his Jewish fans that opposing apartheid and genocide was not an attack on them. Following Macklemore’s exit, the remaining support acts on Sheeran’s bill also pulled out.
Speaking at Lincoln Financial Field, Sheeran acknowledged the difficulty of the past week. “I am making mistakes and I’m so, so sorry,” he said. He noted that he has historically avoided political activism but found himself drawn into a fierce debate over free speech and the complex geopolitical issues at play.
Sheeran addressed both sides of the conflict, beginning with the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks. “What happened in Israel at the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain,” he told the crowd. He then shifted focus to Gaza, adding, “What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and the loss of civilians’ lives, of children’s lives.”
Earlier in the week, Sheeran clarified via social media that the decision to remove Macklemore was made by the tour promoter, not himself. He stated, “Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine. Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me.” Sheeran also revealed that venues had threatened to cancel shows entirely if Macklemore remained on the lineup.
Messina Touring Group, the U.S. promoter for the Ed Sheeran Loop Tour, confirmed in a statement to ABC News that venue holders notified them they would not allow concerts to proceed with Macklemore in the lineup. The promoter added that proceeding would have resulted in mass cancellations, impacting hundreds of thousands of fans, and that stakeholders agreed Macklemore would not perform on the remaining dates.
So the promoter made the call, but the damage is done. Why was he even booked if venues wouldn’t allow him?
It is brave of him to speak out on both sides. This complex conflict needs more voices like his, not less.