Ed Sheeran opened his concert at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Saturday with a public statement on Gaza, describing the situation there as “catastrophic and unjustifiable, and disproportionate”.
Sheeran also called the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel “horrific”, saying they “compounded centuries of Jewish pain”. He said his heart had been broken by the scale of destruction in Gaza and by civilian deaths.
“This is a humanitarian issue and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore,” Sheeran told the audience. He said his criticism concerned the Israeli government’s treatment of civilians in Gaza, and distinguished that position from hostility towards Jewish people.
He also said “the systemic injustice we are seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked”. The comments marked a change from his position earlier in the week, when he was adamant in a Tuesday statement that he would not be drawn into discussion of the war in Gaza.
The Philadelphia appearance came after disruption to Sheeran’s LOOP Tour involving Macklemore, who had been due to perform as an opening act. Macklemore was dropped from the tour after making pro-Palestinian comments onstage, including telling audiences “Free Palestine” and performing his 2024 protest song “Hind's Hall”.
Macklemore had appeared during Sheeran’s September 4 and 5 concerts at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The Israeli-American Council called for his removal from the tour. Other supporting acts then withdrew in solidarity with Macklemore.
Sheeran performed solo in Philadelphia. As of Saturday morning, Ticketmaster did not list any other performers joining him on the LOOP Tour.
In his remarks, Sheeran raised concern about venues requiring performers to obtain approval for what they say onstage. He said venues pre-approving content “should never happen in the free world”, and said performers should have freedom of speech.
Sheeran said he had never wanted to be an activist musician. He told the crowd that fans attend his shows for music rather than political issues, and said his songs are about “love, hope and unity”.
Towards the end of the concert, he apologised for raising politics and thanked the audience for its warm welcome. He said he was “already speaking to people across the spectrum to work out how to make a contribution that helps victims of these terrible times”. The scope of any such contribution remains unclear.
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