Ed Sheeran has addressed the controversy surrounding Macklemore’s removal from his US tour, apologizing for how the situation unfolded while publicly speaking about the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
Sheeran made the remarks during his September 19 concert at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, his first show since Macklemore was removed from the US leg of the Loop Tour.
Opening the concert, Sheeran acknowledged the difficult decisions he had faced over the previous week and admitted that he had made mistakes.
“I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I’m so, so sorry,” he told the audience.
Sheeran also directly addressed the situation in Gaza, describing the circumstances there as “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate.” He said the scale of civilian deaths, particularly the loss of children’s lives, had deeply affected him. He also condemned the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and referred to the historical suffering of Jewish people.
The comments represent a change from Sheeran’s earlier public position during the controversy. Earlier in the week, he had said his concerts were not intended to be political forums and maintained that the decision to remove Macklemore ultimately involved the tour’s promoter and venues. Sheeran said he had spoken with venues in an effort to resolve the dispute before Macklemore was taken off the remaining US dates.
Macklemore was removed from the remaining US dates after making pro-Palestinian remarks during his September 4 performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, including his call to “Free Palestine.” The decision followed objections from venues and controversy surrounding his comments.
The fallout subsequently extended beyond Macklemore. Several other acts associated with Sheeran’s tour withdrew, with reports identifying Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Sheeran’s backing band among those who stepped away. Sheeran was therefore left to perform his Philadelphia show without the original support lineup.
During his Philadelphia address, Sheeran said he wanted his music and concerts to be about unity and humanity rather than political division, but added that he could no longer remain silent about what he described as a humanitarian issue.
The singer became emotional later in the evening as he spoke about the impact the controversy had had on him personally, saying he had felt abandoned by people close to him while expressing gratitude to the thousands of fans who still attended the concert.
Sheeran’s remarks now add another chapter to a controversy that has drawn artists, venues, promoters and fans into a wider debate over political expression at concerts and the responsibilities of performers and event organisers.
