Ed Sheeran breaks silence on Gaza controversy at Philadelphia concert

Ed Sheeran said the situation in Gaza is “unjustifiable” and acknowledged “mistakes” Saturday night in Philadelphia, during his first concert since the controversy surrounding rapper Macklemore’s removal from his tour over pro-Palestinian remarks, AFP reports.

The rapper, who had been opening Sheeran’s concerts, called for the “liberation of Palestine” during two shows earlier this month.

He was removed from the tour on Monday under pressure from US organizers. The decision triggered an unprecedented wave of criticism against Ed Sheeran, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

Facing protests, Ed Sheeran said this week that he did not want to “make his profession a political platform,” even as a growing number of artists have spoken out about the conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas and its devastating toll on Palestinians, with more than 73,000 people killed and 174,000 wounded.

The 35-year-old singer finally broke his silence on Saturday. “What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic, unjustifiable and disproportionate,” he said at the opening of his show at Lincoln Financial Field.

“My heart is broken by the scale of the devastation and the deaths of civilians and children, and the systemic injustice we are witnessing in the West Bank (occupied by Israel since 1967) cannot be ignored,” he added, without explicitly blaming Israel.

He also denounced the “atrocious” attacks carried out by the Islamist movement Hamas on October 7, 2023, which triggered the war in Gaza.

Ed Sheeran has been accused of failing to defend his friend Macklemore and lacking the courage to denounce the plight of Palestinians. The former street guitarist, who became one of the most-listened-to singers of his generation, was abandoned by other artists taking part in his tour, including singer Finneas, the brother of star Billie Eilish.

“I had to make some difficult decisions, I made mistakes and I’m very, very sorry,” Ed Sheeran acknowledged, to cheers from the audience. He said he had just experienced “the hardest week of his life.” The singer of the hit “Shape of You” began his concert alone, without an opening act.

Five musicians later joined him. He said they had learned his songs in three days, when “nobody wanted to come on stage with me.”

Several of the British artist’s fans interviewed by AFP in Philadelphia admitted they had hesitated to attend the concert because of the controversy. Others said they had changed their plans.

Dozens of protesters gathered peacefully before the show near Lincoln Financial Field. Some waved Palestinian flags and chanted “Free Palestine.”

Brandon Ateke, an 18-year-old student at Brown University, accused Ed Sheeran of “complicity” in Macklemore’s removal.

“I decided not to attend the concert and instead participate in the demonstration aimed at highlighting the genocide taking place today in Gaza,” he said.

On the resale market, tickets for the show had been selling at a slightly faster pace since Monday than for previous tour dates, according to figures from specialized platform TicketData. The price of the cheapest tickets fell from $123 to $48 on Saturday evening.

In the end, the stadium was almost full, according to AFP.

From the Oscars to the Emmys, as well as the Cannes and Berlin film festivals, the conflict in Gaza has dominated discussions. This is particularly the case as, despite a ceasefire that took effect in October 2025, Israel continues its operations in Gaza. Since then, these operations have killed at least 1,300 people, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which is under the authority of Hamas and whose figures are considered reliable by the UN.

Among them, a 10-year-old child and at least three other people were killed by Israeli fire, the local Health Ministry said Saturday, AFP also reports.

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