'Unjustifiable': Ed Sheeran addresses Gaza war after Macklemore controversy

Ed Sheeran opened a solo concert in Philadelphia on Sunday AEST with comments about Gaza, saying what’s happening is "catastrophic and unjustifiable".

He told his audience he has "made mistakes" after controversy erupted over Macklemore's removal from the tour following on-stage comments the rapper made about the war in Gaza.

"I've had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes and I'm so, so sorry for them," 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 and the most complex political issue on the planet.

"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 are seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked," he said.

Sheeran has performed much of his Loop Tour concerts solo, but he had been joined for several songs at each stop by the Irish folk band Beoga.

Macklemore, Sheeran’s original US opener, had been replaced by Danish band Lukas Graham and Irish singer Aaron Rowe before they backed out.

Finneas, Billie Eilish’s brother and musical collaborator, was due to tour with Sheeran in South America later this year before he too dropped out earlier this week.

As of Saturday afternoon, tickets were still available for the show, and Sheeran's website did not list any replacement acts.

Earlier a group of about 50 pro-Palestinian demonstrators congregated outside the stadium before the show.

Hillary Steinberg, 34, of Philadelphia, said she got tickets a year ago but wound up getting a refund and attending the demonstration instead, disappointed that Sheeran did not take a stand.

"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."

The show comes after a tumultuous week that opened with Macklemore being dropped in response to exclaiming “Free Palestine” during a 5 September show in New Jersey.

Sheeran has said he was not responsible for the decision, which came at the urging of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. His company owns a stadium where Sheeran’s tour was scheduled to play on Friday.

Within hours of Sheeran's statement Tuesday, his supporting acts withdrew.

Diane Savitz, a 53-year-old concertgoer from Stroudsburg, got her tickets to the show months ago and is a big Sheeran fan. She said she does not think that he did anything wrong or that a concert is 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."

Macklemore said Wednesday he is donating US$1 million ($1.4 million) to support Palestinian relief efforts and called on Kraft to match the gift; a spokesperson for Kraft has said the billionaire and Sheeran have each agreed to donate US$2 million ($2.8 million) but have not specified where the money will be directed.

Sheeran’s Loop Tour was the highest-grossing in the world, with an average box office gross of over US$7 million ($9.8 million) per city, US trade publication Pollstar said in May. Through the end of 2025, Sheeran was the No. 3 top-earning concert act since 2021.

Sheeran has said the tour promoter was ultimately responsible for the decision to drop Macklemore.

The Grammy winner was adamant in his Tuesday statement that he wouldn't be drawn into discussion of the war in Gaza, arguing that his fans don’t come to his shows to hear about these issues.

While Sheeran has not been as politically vocal as many fellow artists, he has expressed support for some causes in the past. He performed at the Concert for Ukraine in 2022, which raised money for Ukrainians affected by the Russian invasion, and collaborated with a Ukrainian band on a charity single.

He also said he “spoke with the venues at length all week to try to build a bridge” before Macklemore was dropped. He insisted he would never willingly let down his fans or abandon the touring crew and others who rely on him to make a living.

While promoters and venues wield great power over concert tours, experts say an artist of Sheeran's magnitude generally has the final say about what happens concerning the shows.

For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.