Ed Sheeran apologized to fans at his Philadelphia concert Saturday night, acknowledging that he had made “mistakes” in his response to the controversy that has engulfed his tour and speaking publicly for the first time about his views on the war in Gaza.
“I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I am so, so sorry,” the acoustic guitarist told the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field, according to multiple reports.
The singer, who has traditionally avoided political commentary, said he could no longer remain silent about the humanitarian crisis.
“I’ve tried in my career to not 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. “But this is a humanitarian issue and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.”
Sheeran condemned the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack while expressing strong criticism of the devastation in Gaza.
“What happened in Israel and at the Nova 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, children’s lives. And the systemic injustice we’re seeing unfold in the West Bank, it cannot be overlooked.”
He also addressed the broader free-speech dispute that has left him performing without any supporting acts.
“This concert is still a place where everyone is welcome and everyone here can stand beside people that have opposing views, and everyone here can stand beside people that they don’t agree with on everything, but they can all agree on singing these songs,” Sheeran said.
I’ve tried in my career to not be a political commentator of any kind… But this is a humanitarian issue and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.”
— Ed Sheeran
The Philadelphia show was Sheeran’s first since his U.S. tour erupted into controversy over the removal of Macklemore, who had said “Free Palestine” from the stage during a September performance at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. Sheeran subsequently said the decision to remove Macklemore was made by the tour’s promoter after venues indicated they would not allow the rapper to perform.
Messina Touring Group said venues on the remaining U.S. dates had told the promoter they would not allow concerts to proceed with Macklemore on the lineup, potentially forcing the cancellation of the tour.
The decision prompted the other supporting acts to withdraw in solidarity. Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham and Sheeran’s touring band Beoga all announced that they would no longer participate. Finneas wrote that “artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed” and said, “I stand with Palestine and its people.”
The controversy also prompted Sheeran to speak out about the role of venues in determining what performers can say onstage. Before Saturday’s concert, he said he was “deeply worried” about venues requiring artists to have their content approved in advance.
“This happens in so many places that I perform around the world,” he said, “but it should never happen in the free world.”
Sheeran had faced criticism for initially declining to take a public position on the conflict, including from former Pink Floyd bass guitarist Roger Waters, who criticized him on social media and called him “a little prick.” The controversy also created an unintentionally awkward twist for Guitar Center, which had launched a contest in August offering undiscovered musicians the chance to open for Sheeran on the December 11 date of his Loop Tour in Mexico City.
In Philadelphia, Sheeran said he still wanted his concerts to provide a place where people with opposing views could come together.
“My concerts have always been a safe space for everyone, and that matters hugely to me,” he said.
