Ed Sheeran has broken his silence on the controversy surrounding his U.S. tour, apologising for decisions made after rapper Macklemore was removed from the line-up over his public support for Palestine.
Speaking to fans before his concert in Philadelphia on Saturday, the British singer said he had made “mistakes” and was “so, so sorry”.
Sheeran also addressed the war in Gaza, describing the situation as “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate”. He condemned the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel as “horrific” and said he was deeply troubled by the loss of civilian and children’s lives in Gaza.
Sheeran told the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field that he had never intended to turn his concerts into political events.
“I don’t want to disappoint fans, and I’ve never wanted to be an activist musician,” he said.
But he said the controversy 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”.
Sheeran also criticised what he described as the pre-approval of performers’ content by venues.
“This happens in so many places that I perform around the world, but it should never happen in the free world,” he said.
He said his concerts had always been intended as a place where people could come together despite having different views.
“My concerts have always been a safe space for everyone, and that matters hugely to me,” he said.
The row centres on Macklemore, who was removed from the remaining U.S. dates of Sheeran’s Loop Tour after making pro-Palestinian comments during a concert at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium earlier this month.
Macklemore said “Free Palestine” during the performance and criticised Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
The tour promoter later said venue owners had told organisers they would not allow concerts featuring Macklemore to go ahead. Sheeran said the decision to remove him was made by the promoter, rather than by him personally.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whose Gillette Stadium is due to host Sheeran later this month, has said Macklemore’s appearance was cancelled because of what he described as a history of “antisemitic rhetoric and imagery”.
Macklemore has rejected accusations of antisemitism.
The dispute quickly spread beyond Sheeran and Macklemore.
Several of the tour’s supporting acts withdrew in solidarity with Macklemore. They included Beoga, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Finneas.
That left Sheeran to resume the Philadelphia show without an opening act. He later performed with other musicians during parts of the concert.
Sheeran said he had spent much of the week trying to find a solution.
“I spoke with the venues at length all week to try to build a bridge,” he said, but added that the venues and promoter ultimately made the decision.
The controversy also prompted Sheeran to speak more openly about the war. He said the October 2023 Hamas attack, which killed about 1,200 people in Israel, was “horrific”. But he described Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate”.
“My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, children’s lives,” Sheeran said.
He also raised concerns about what he called “systemic injustice” in the West Bank, referring to the expansion of Israeli settlements.
His comments marked a change in tone from earlier in the week, when he had said his audiences did not expect a “political forum”.
Israel has previously officially rejected allegations of genocide at the United Nations International Court of Justice (IJC), saying that all actions were in self-defence against Hamas.
The controversy was also visible outside the stadium. Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered near Lincoln Financial Field before the concert, calling attention to the humanitarian situation in Gaza and supporting local Palestinian advocacy groups.
Inside, reactions from fans were mixed. Some said they wanted the concert to remain focused on music, while others argued that artists should be able to speak about political and humanitarian issues.
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