Ed Sheeran addressed the controversy surrounding his tour and the removal of Macklemore from the lineup during an emotional speech at his Philadelphia concert Saturday night, saying he had made mistakes and expressing concern over venues controlling what performers are allowed to say onstage.
The British singer took the stage at Lincoln Financial Field for his first concert since the controversy erupted over Macklemore's removal from the U.S. leg of his Loop Tour.
“I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I’m so, so sorry,” Sheeran told the crowd.
His remarks came after Macklemore was dropped from the remaining U.S. dates of the tour following his outspoken pro-Palestinian comments during performances, including calls to “Free Palestine.” Several other performers subsequently withdrew from Sheeran's tour in protest.
The dispute has placed Sheeran, who has generally avoided political commentary, at the center of a heated debate over free speech, the role of artists at concerts and the ability of venues to influence performers' political expression.
‘It should never happen in the free world’
Sheeran said he had never wanted to be an “activist musician” and had tried to keep his concerts focused on unity rather than politics.
But he said the controversy had forced him into what he described as an important argument about freedom of speech.
“I am deeply worried about the idea of venues pre-approving content of performers,” Sheeran said. “This happens in so many places I perform around the world, but it should never happen in the free world.”
The comment appeared to mark a significant shift from Sheeran's earlier effort to keep his own political views out of the controversy.
Macklemore had previously said that Sheeran and his team were under pressure from venues to remove him from the tour. The promoter confirmed at the time that venues had indicated they would not allow concerts to proceed with Macklemore on the lineup, saying the decision was made after discussions with stakeholders.
Sheeran has said he wanted his concerts to remain a place where people with opposing views could come together.
Sheeran speaks directly about Israel and Gaza
The singer then went further, directly addressing the question of where he stands on the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Sheeran said the October 7, 2023, attack at the Nova music festival in Israel was “horrific” and said it compounded centuries of Jewish pain.
But he also delivered strong criticism of the situation in Gaza.
“What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate,” he said.
Sheeran said he was deeply affected by the loss of civilian and children's lives and added that what he described as “systemic injustice” in the West Bank could not be ignored.
He also said he had begun speaking with people “across the spectrum” about how he could contribute to helping victims of the conflict, while acknowledging that he was still “listening and learning.”
His comments represented Sheeran's most extensive public discussion of the conflict to date.
A turbulent return to the stage
The controversy began earlier this month when Macklemore made pro-Palestinian remarks during a performance at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, including a call to “Free Palestine.” He was subsequently removed from the remaining U.S. dates of Sheeran's tour after venues indicated they would not host shows with him on the bill.
Macklemore later accused Sheeran's team of being placed under pressure by venue owners. Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, defended his opposition to Macklemore's performances, saying the rapper's rhetoric and imagery had been offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.
The fallout then spread to other members of Sheeran's touring operation. Supporting acts including Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Finneas withdrew, while Sheeran's backing band Beoga also left the tour.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside Lincoln Financial Field ahead of Saturday night's concert.
Inside, Sheeran addressed the tension directly.
He said his concerts had always been intended to be a “safe space for everyone” and stressed that people with opposing views should still be able to stand together and enjoy the music.
‘I don’t want to disappoint fans’
Sheeran's remarks attempted to reconcile his desire to remain outside partisan politics with his decision to speak publicly about the humanitarian consequences of the conflict.
“I don’t want to disappoint fans,” he said, while explaining that he had never wanted his music to become a vehicle for political division.
But after the Macklemore controversy, Sheeran said he could no longer completely hide his feelings about the humanitarian situation.
“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,” he said.
He then added: “But this is a humanitarian issue and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.”
Sheeran ended the remarks by thanking the Philadelphia audience for being there with him.
The speech now places the singer in a markedly different position from where he stood when the Macklemore controversy first erupted: still emphasizing unity and his desire to keep his concerts welcoming to everyone, but openly questioning whether venues should have the power to determine what artists can say and publicly expressing his concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
