‘I’m so, so sorry’: Ed Sheeran labels war in Gaza ‘catastrophic and unjustifiable’

Ed Sheeran has opened his latest concert solo, admitting that he made mistakes and addressing the furore caused after his US opener, Macklemore, was dropped for making pro-Palestinian remarks on stage.

“I never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about free speech and the most complex political issue on the planet,” he said. “My concerts have always been a safe space for everyone and that matters hugely to me.”

US rapper Macklemore was removed as the support act for Sheeran’s Loop tour last Monday (AEST) after complaints from the owners of several stadiums where he was scheduled to perform.

They reportedly took issue with the artist’s “Free Palestine” comments, which he made during a performance at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium earlier this month. Following his removal, all four supporting acts and Sheeran’s touring band pulled out of the Loop tour, as a demonstration of support for Macklemore and Palestine.

Sheeran resumed his tour on Sunday (AEST) at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, marking his first time on stage since the supporting act exodus. He confirmed he was returning to the stage on his own.

As of Sunday morning, tickets were still available to purchase online and Sheeran’s website did not list any replacement acts.

An emotional Ed Sheeran addresses the crowd in Philadelphia.According to the BBC, ticket prices for the concert dropped to as low as $US32 ($45) following the controversy, and sales declined for the remaining US leg. This is in stark contrast to his previous tour, which became one of the highest-grossing of all time.

At the beginning of the Philadelphia show, Sheeran expressed his commitment to the fans, explaining that was why he returned to the stage. He said he had “made mistakes” while making “difficult decisions”.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I am deeply worried about the idea that venues should pre-approve content of the performers. This happens in so many places that I’ve performed in around the world, but it should never happen in a free world.”

He also addressed his stance on the war in Israel and Palestine, noting that he has avoided being a political commentator of any kind throughout his career because he wants his music and shows to “be about unity, not division; about humanity, not politics”. However, he said he could no longer hide his feelings.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather outside Ed Sheeran’s first concert since Macklemore was dropped from the Loop tour.AP Photo/Allie Ippolito“What happened in Israel at Nova music festival on October 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. 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, of children’s lives, and the systemic injustice we’re seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked.”

Sheeran addressed the crowd once again about midway through the show to explain that he decided to remove his “B stage” – a smaller additional stage positioned in the centre of the audience used at earlier Loop tour gigs – due to fears around his safety.

“I didn’t know what this audience would be like tonight. I didn’t know if I would have things thrown at me,” he said.

A group of about 50 pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside the stadium ahead of the Philadelphia show. Hillary Steinberg, a 34-year-old Philadelphia local, said she bought tickets a year ago but wound up getting a refund and attending the demonstration instead, disappointed by Sheeran’s apolitical stance.

“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 concert was originally supposed to begin with opening acts at 5.30pm (US time), but this was pushed back to 8pm following the supporting acts’ exit. Footage by fans inside the venue reportedly shows patches of empty seats shortly before start time.

Notably, The Shape of You singer performs the majority of his Loop tour gigs solo using a loop pedal. However, the Irish folk band Boega previously joined him on stage for tracks like Galway Girl and Nancy Mulligan. Macklemore, Sheeran’s original US opener, was replaced by Danish band Lukas Graham and Irish singer Aaron Rowe before they backed out.

Before launching into the portion of the show in which Boega would usually feature, Sheeran told the Philadelphia crowd that he wondered how he was “going to get musicians to stand on stage with [him] in a week when no one wants to stand on stage with [him]“. He then welcomed touring violinist Alicia Enstrom and four other musicians onto the stage to perform Galway Girl.

“I rang up a friend of mine who is superb … and I said to her: ‘Would you stand on stage with me?’ And she said yes. I asked her if she knew some musician friends, and she said yes,” Sheeran said.

“They said yes to being on stage with the knowledge that the world thought I was a certain type of person. They said yes with the knowledge that the world may hate them too for standing on stage with me, and I am so grateful.”

Sheeran claimed it wasn’t his choice to axe Macklemore from the tour and said it was the tour promoter’s decision. In a statement shared on Instagram on Wednesday (AEST), the Grammy winner said he does not use his professional platform for politics, and that the fans who attend his shows “do not expect a political forum”.

He also said he attempted to reason with venue owners to try to “build a bridge” before Macklemore was removed.

Ed Sheeran (left) claims it was not his decision to drop Macklemore (right) from the Loop tour.GettyWhile 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.

Diane Savitz, a 53-year-old concertgoer from Pennsylvania, got her tickets to the show months ago and is a big Sheeran fan. She said she didn’t think 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.”

Earlier this week, Macklemore revealed that he would donate $US1 million to support Palestinian relief efforts and encouraged New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to match it. Kraft, who also owns Gillette Stadium, was among the most vocal critics of Macklemore and led the push to remove him from Sheeran’s tour.

Sheeran is scheduled to perform at Kraft’s Massachusetts stadium on September 25 and 26.

A spokesperson for Kraft has said the stadium owner and Sheeran have each agreed to donate $US2 million; however, it remains uncertain where the money will be directed.

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