Saturday in Philadelphia opened with Ed Sheeran addressing the war in Gaza directly, calling the situation there “catastrophic and unjustifiable.” before he began his concert.
After a week of chaos on his Loop Tour, during which supporting acts pulled out of solidarity with the opener, Macklemore, who was dropped following pro-Palestinian comments onstage, the singer addressed the issue from Lincoln Financial Field.
“I am already speaking to people across the spectrum to work out how to make a contribution that helps victims of these terrible times, and listening and learning because I do not know enough,” Sheeran said from the stage.
What Sheeran Said
Ed Sheeran has said he wants his music and shows to focus on unity and humanity, not politics.
He spoke to “the question of where I stand in the situation in Israel and Palestine.”, speaking directly to something or someone that stood before him.
“What happened in Israel and at the Nova Music Festival on October 7th was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable, and disproportionate,” he said, was his answer.
“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 added.
He also said the destruction in Gaza is “disproportionate.”
The Week That Led To It
This week started with Macklemore being dropped after he exclaimed “Free Palestine” during a Sept. 5 show in New Jersey. Sheeran’s representatives have yet to answer multiple requests for comment.
Within hours of Sheeran’s statement Tuesday, his supporting acts withdrew.
A small group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside the stadium before the show. Philadelphia resident Hillary Steinberg, 34, said she had purchased tickets a year earlier but ended up getting a refund and went to the demonstration instead.
“I was, until this week, a big Ed Sheeran fan,” Steinberg 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.”
Sheeran’s failure to take a stand was the source of Steinberg’s disappointment.
Diane Savitz, 53, a concertgoer from Stroudsburg, said she is a big Sheeran fan, does not think he did anything wrong and a show is not the place for politics.
“A concert should be for people enjoying the music. Music should bring people together,” Savitz said. “Everyone has their right to freedom of speech, but not every platform is the place for it.”
In Philadelphia, Sheeran addressed the audience and said that everyone is welcome at his concerts, reiterating that people can hold opposing points of view while still singing his songs, which are about “love, hope, and unity.”.
Why Promoters Matter
Before opening for Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour, Macklemore had been swapped out for Danish band Lukas Graham and Irish singer Aaron Rowe, who then backed out.
Later this year, Finneas, who is Billie Eilish’s brother and her musical collaborator, was scheduled to tour with Sheeran in South America. He too dropped out earlier this week.
Ultimately, the decision to drop Macklemore rested with the tour promoter, according to Sheeran.
He also said he “spoke with the venues at length all week to try to build a bridge” before Macklemore was dropped.
On Wednesday, Macklemore announced he is giving $1 million in support of Palestinian relief. He also asked Kraft to match the donation. A spokesperson for Kraft has said the billionaire and Sheeran have each agreed to contribute $2 million, though they have not yet said where the funds will be directed.
Pollstar said in May that Sheeran’s Loop Tour topped the global box office, averaging more than $7 million per city. He was also the No. 3 highest-earning concert act since 2021, a ranking through the end of 2025.
| Fixture | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Macklemore dropped from tour | This week | Sheeran addressed the audience Saturday |
| Macklemore announces $1 million donation | Wednesday | Kraft to match |
| Loop Tour tops global box office | May | Averaging more than $7 million per city |
| South America tour with Finneas | Later this year | Finneas dropped earlier this week |
Source material: “Ed Sheeran Says Situation in Gaza Is ‘Catastrophic and Unjustifiable’ at Philadelphia Tour Stop,” Billboard.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.