Ed Sheeran Weeps During Gaza Speech, Says He Did Not Know If He Would Perform Again

Ed Sheeran became emotional on stage in Philadelphia on Saturday, 19 September, as he addressed the war in Gaza and the controversy surrounding his Loop Tour. Performing at Lincoln Financial Field in his first concert since Macklemore was removed from the tour, Sheeran called the situation in Gaza "catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate" and later said he had questioned whether he would perform again.

The concert followed a turbulent week for the British singer after Macklemore was dropped from his remaining US support dates. The rapper had said "Free Palestine" while opening for Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 4 September and again addressed the Israel-Palestinian conflict during the two-night engagement.

Sheeran later said the decision to remove Macklemore was made by the tour promoter after venues warned they would pull forthcoming concerts if the rapper remained on the bill. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft separately confirmed that Macklemore would not be permitted to perform at Gillette Stadium on 25 and 26 September, saying the venue believed his participation would conflict with its policy against what it considers hate speech.

Supporting acts Finneas, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe subsequently withdrew from scheduled tour appearances, as did Irish band Beoga, which had been joining Sheeran for several songs during his sets. Their departures were announced in solidarity with Macklemore.

Ed Sheeran Addresses Gaza From Philadelphia Stage

Before beginning his set on Saturday, Sheeran told the Philadelphia audience that he had generally tried to avoid becoming an "activist musician" because he wanted his concerts to focus on unity rather than political division.

'But this is a humanitarian issue. I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore,' he said.

Sheeran described the 7 October 2023 attacks in Israel as "horrific" and said they had "compounded centuries of Jewish pain". He then turned to Gaza, saying his "heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilian life and loss of children's lives". He also said what he described as "systemic injustice" in the West Bank could not be overlooked. Reuters and AP independently reported the remarks.

Sheeran acknowledged his handling of the tour dispute, telling the audience: 'I've had to take and make difficult decisions and I am making mistakes and I'm so, so sorry.' He did not specify every decision to which he was referring.

He also expressed concern about venues seeking to approve the content of performances in advance.

'This happens in so many places that I perform around the world, but it should never happen in the free world,' Sheeran said.

Tour Continues After Supporting Acts Withdraw

The departures forced changes to Saturday's concert. Sheeran began alone, although musicians joined him later in the performance. He said he had removed the show's B-stage because he was uncertain how the audience would react and feared objects might be thrown at him.

For songs that could not easily be performed using his loop-pedal setup, Sheeran brought in a newly assembled group of musicians led by violinist Alicia Enstrom, a previous touring collaborator. Sheeran told the audience the musicians had been given only three days to learn the material before joining him on stage.

The controversy has also drawn comments from singer Pink, who is Jewish. She criticised aspects of Macklemore's MetLife performances and referred to a 2014 incident in which he wore a disguise that was widely criticised as resembling an antisemitic caricature. Macklemore apologised at the time, saying that was not his intention and acknowledging that the costume could be interpreted in that way.

Sheeran Says He Questioned His Future on Stage

Later in Saturday's concert, Sheeran became emotional again as he reflected on the fallout.

'The last week of my life has been one of the worst weeks of my life,' he told the audience, adding that he had questioned whether the tour would continue, whether he would "get on stage again" and even whether he wanted to remain an artist.

He said the episode had changed some personal relationships and suggested that friends and people he had known for years had distanced themselves. Despite calls for him to cancel the tour, Sheeran said he remained committed to performing for fans.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered near Lincoln Financial Field before the concert. Reuters reported that dozens attended the demonstration, while AP described the concert itself as taking place before a nearly full stadium.

The Loop Tour remains scheduled to continue with two performances at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on 25 and 26 September. Sheeran's official tour calendar continues to list the dates.