Ed Sheeran has broken his silence on the war in Gaza, telling a Philadelphia crowd that what is happening there is "catastrophic, and unjustifiable, and disproportionate" — while also apologising for the decisions he made during a turbulent week that stripped his Loop Tour of every supporting act. The British pop superstar took to the stage alone at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday (AEST), marking his first concert appearance since rapper Macklemore was removed from the tour and the resulting fallout saw four acts publicly walk out in solidarity.
Sheeran opens solo and says 'I'm so, so sorry'
Sheeran addressed the audience directly from the outset, acknowledging he had navigated a week of deeply difficult decisions and had not always got them right.
"I've had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes and I'm so, so sorry for them," he told the crowd. "I don't want to disappoint fans, and I've never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet."
He stressed that his concerts have always been intended as a safe space for all attendees, and said he was deeply uncomfortable with the idea that venues should have the power to pre-approve the content of performers. "This happens in so many places that I've performed in around the world, but it should never happen in a free world," he said.
Throughout his career, Sheeran said, he had deliberately avoided political commentary because he wanted his music and shows to stand for unity rather than division. But on Sunday he said he could no longer stay silent.
"What happened in Israel at a known music festival on October 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain," he said. "What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic, and unjustifiable, and disproportionate. My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians' lives, of children's lives, and the systemic injustice we're seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked."
How the Macklemore controversy unravelled the Loop Tour
The crisis began earlier this month when US rapper Macklemore, who had been serving as the tour's American opening act, exclaimed "Free Palestine" during a performance at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. Owners of several stadiums at which the tour was scheduled to appear subsequently raised objections, and Macklemore was dropped from the tour — a decision Sheeran has said was not his to make.
It is understood that the move came at the urging of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whose company owns a stadium that was on the upcoming tour itinerary. Within hours of Sheeran publicly addressing the situation, all four supporting acts withdrew from the tour, issuing statements citing their support for Palestinians and for Macklemore. Finneas — Billie Eilish's brother and musical collaborator, who had been set to join the tour in South America — also pulled out.
Macklemore subsequently announced he would donate US$1 million ($1.4 million) to Palestinian relief efforts and called on Kraft to match the contribution. A spokesperson for Kraft indicated that both Kraft and Sheeran had each agreed to donate US$2 million ($2.8 million), though the intended recipients of those funds have not been confirmed.
The commercial toll on the tour has been significant. Ticket prices for the Philadelphia show reportedly dropped to as low as US$32 ($45) as the controversy grew, with sales declining across the remaining US dates. This represents a sharp contrast to the Loop Tour's broader standing — it had previously ranked as one of the highest-grossing tours in the world. The concert, originally scheduled to begin with supporting acts at 5.30pm local time, was pushed back to 8pm, and footage from inside the venue showed patches of empty seats before the show got underway.
Protesters outside, divided opinions inside
Around 50 pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside Lincoln Financial Field ahead of the show. Among them was Philadelphia resident Hillary Steinberg, 34, who had purchased tickets a year earlier but chose to seek a refund and join the protest rather than attend.
"I was, until this week, a big Ed Sheeran fan," she said. "I think all art is political, and all music is political, and so this choice — even though he was saying that he wasn't complicit — is a political choice."
Inside the stadium, opinions were more divided. Concertgoer Diane Savitz, 53, from Stroudsburg, said she did not believe Sheeran had done anything wrong, and questioned whether a concert was the right venue for political statements at all. "A concert should be for people enjoying the music. Music should bring people together," she said. "Everyone has their right to freedom of speech, but not every platform is the place for it."
Sheeran performed the show solo — consistent with much of the Loop Tour format, in which he uses a loop pedal to build tracks live on stage. Irish folk band Beoga had previously joined him for songs including Galway Girl and Nancy Mulligan, but did not appear on Sunday. As of show time, no replacement supporting acts had been announced, and none were listed on the tour's official website.
The situation continues to draw global attention amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, with no ceasefire agreement in sight and civilian casualties continuing to mount.
