Singer Ed Sheeran opened his latest concert alone onstage and apologised to fans for making “mistakes” as he handled the fallout over rapper Macklemore being dropped from his tour over pro-Palestinian remarks.
“I never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about free speech and the most complex political issue on the planet,” he said during Saturday’s Philadelphia show.
He also called the situation in Gaza “unjustifiable” in his first in-person remarks on the matter since the controversy erupted.
The concert was a stripped-down event, and Sheeran performed without opening acts after several musicians left his tour.
The price for tickets dropped and sales declined for the remaining US leg of his Loop Tour due to the controversy.
The singer has said the decision to drop Macklemore was made by his promoters, not him.
“My concerts have always been a safe space for everyone,” he said at the start of Saturday’s show, adding that he is committed to his fans and that is why he returned to the stage.
“Now, I want to address the question of where I stand in the situation in Israel and Palestine, and whether my doing this concert here tonight implies where I stand,” he said.
“I have tried in my career not to be a political commentator of any kind, because I want my music and shows to be about unity, not division; about humanity, not politics. But this is a humanitarian issue, and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.”
Sheeran said what happened in Israel during the 7 October 2023 attacks was “horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain”.
He added: “What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. My heart has been broken by the scale of of devastation and loss of civilian lives, of children’s lives, and this systemic injustice we’re seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked.”
He said he is trying “to work out how to make a contribution that helps victims of these terrible times and listening and learning, because I do not know enough”.
The singer said he took issue with the idea that venues would “preapprove” content or performers, which received applause from the audience.
Sheeran then closed his statement by saying that he hoped his concert could be a place where everyone could gather irrespective of their beliefs.
