Ed Sheeran says he feels his family and friends have “abandoned” him and that he has discovered “who his friends are” amid the Israel-Palestine controversy threatening his tour.
The 35-year-old British pop star has faced intense backlash after rapper Macklemore was removed from the tour over his outspoken pro-Palestine views.
Macklemore was dropped from Sheeran’s tour after US stadium owner Robert Kraft accused him of hate speech during earlier support performances, where the rapper called for a “free Palestine”.
Kraft, who is Jewish, subsequently barred Macklemore from performing at Gillette Stadium near Boston. The decision intensified the Israel-Palestine dispute and left Sheeran saying he felt “abandoned” by those close to him.
The singer struggled to hold back tears during his show last night as he apologised to fans over his handling of the controversy, which has threatened to derail the tour.
Speaking to fans in Philadelphia, Sheeran said he was unsure whether upcoming dates would proceed amid the backlash and calls for a boycott following the decision to remove Macklemore, whose music has included support for Palestine.
Sheeran said the situation had shown him “who his friends are” and added: “I cannot hide how I feel… any more.”
He acknowledged making “mistakes” in his response and moved away from his earlier promise to keep politics out of his shows. Sheeran described the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable” while calling Hamas’s October 7 attacks “horrific”.
An emotional Ed Sheeran became tearful on stage as he apologised for his handling of the Israel controversy surrounding his new tour.
Ed Sheeran has addressed the Israel-Palestine conflict after his Loop Tour was thrown into turmoil following Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” comments.
The concert was also met by pro-Palestine protesters before Sheeran took to the stage.
Appearing on stage for the first time since the Loop Tour descended into turmoil, the 35-year-old father of two said he had never intended to become an activist musician. However, he said the criticism had forced him to “take and make difficult decisions”.
He told the crowd: “I really didn’t know whether this tour would be carrying on. In these situations, you really find out who your friends are and it’s been a weird week. I just feel like it happened very quickly.
“In the back of my mind, I saw the ticket sales for this gig and I didn’t see cancellations, I saw people buying tickets for this gig.
“Everyone’s telling me to cancel and I’m feeling all of my friends and family and people I know abandon me.
“I look at the end of the week and I see 50,000 people who haven’t abandoned me. People will say what they want, but I am doing this for you. I love you. I love this.”
Sheeran said he was heartbroken by the “scale of devastation and loss of lives”. Becoming emotional as the crowd cheered, he added: “I’m so grateful you are here with me tonight.”
He became visibly emotional once again at the end of the performance, apologising for bringing politics into a concert despite previously promising that he would not do so.
At the close of the show, Sheeran said: “The one thing that I would like to apologise for is the first bit of the show where it wasn’t about music and I had to talk.
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Should Ed have kept politics out of his concerts?
Sheeran returned to the stage in Philadelphia on Saturday night for the first time since 43-year-old Macklemore, real name Benjamin Haggerty, was axed from the tour (pictured together in 2013)
‘I understand that people have children here and I understand that families didn’t buy a ticket to hear that first bit of the show, but that was something I felt like I needed to say.’
Sheeran had previously said that ‘those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum’.
The gig at the Lincoln Financial Field marked the first time the star returned to the stage since the rapper Macklemore was dropped as his opening act after taking a vocal stance in favour of a ‘Free Palestine’.
In a solemn speech at the start of the concert, Sheeran said: ‘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 and not division, about humanity and not politics. But this is a humanitarian issue and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.’
‘What happened in Israel at Nova music festival on October 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain.
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‘What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate,’ Sheeran said in a video captured and shared online by a concertgoer.
‘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,’ he declared.
Sheeran told the audience that he plans to ‘continue my current tour’ despite each of his openers dropping out in solidarity with Macklemore.
Finneas, Billie Eilish’s brother, pulled out of his scheduled appearances in upcoming tour dates, stating that ‘artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed’
Activists demanded freedom for Palestine as they gathered outside of Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday night
By the end of the show, Sheeran broke down into tears, telling fans: ‘I’m so grateful. The world is a scary place right now. America is a scary place right now. This gives hope. This gives hope.’
The crowd broke out in applause as Sheeran appeared deeply moved.
‘My shows are about this,’ he said. ‘They are about people coming together that don’t know each other, that have different beliefs. They’re about unity. They’re about love. They’re about family.’
As fans cheered, Sheeran vowed that the controversy would not stop him from performing.
‘You’re jumping around like maniacs with each other and having fun,’ he said. ‘And I will never stop doing this. I will never stop doing this. I love doing this so much.’
It came after Macklemore said Sheeran had spoken to Robert Kraft, who owns Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts through his holding company, the Kraft Group.
‘Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium. Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues,’ he wrote.
On Tuesday, Sheeran released his own statement on Instagram, saying it wasn’t his decision to remove Macklemore from the tour, but rather the promoter’s.
‘I would never let down the fans who had made plans, nor would I abandon the touring crew and the other support acts and musicians who rely on me for work and to make a living,’ the British singer-songwriter added.
Sheeran said in the lengthy statement that he has ‘personal views on this devastating conflict’, but made the choice ‘not to speak publicly’.
He has faced criticism from other artists, including Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters, who bashed him on social media for not taking a stand against the decision.
Ed Sheeran’s cousin last week branded the pop star a ‘coward’ for dropping pro-Palestine Macklemore.
Jethro Sheeran, who at 44 is nine years older than his cousin, responded to the row by saying he was ‘ashamed’ of his relative.
In a furious post on Facebook, he said: ‘Finally it’s all coming out! I’m ashamed of my cousin Ed and what he’s done.
‘Finally the world and all his fans see through him. He’s not a good person, I don’t like his music so I can’t say he’s even a good artist.’
Billie Eilish’s brother, Finneas, pulled out of his scheduled appearances in upcoming tour dates, stating that ‘artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed’.
Tour openers including Aaron Rowe and the band Lukas Graham, along with Sheeran’s long-time backing folk band Beoga, also withdrew from the endeavour.
In his address to fans on Saturday, Sheeran stated: ‘I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I’m so, so sorry.’
He said: ‘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 in the most complex political issue on the planet.’
The pop star continued: ‘Our concerts have always been a safe space for everyone, and that matters hugely to me. Honouring my commitment to my fans is also completely central to who I am and that is why I’m here tonight, on my own, and continuing my own tour.’
He went on to say: ‘I am deeply worried about the idea that venues pre-approved content performance. This happens in so many places that I’ve gone around the world, but it should never happen in the free world.’