Ed Sheeran breaks onstage silence about Palestine during now-solo Loop Tour stop in Philadelphia

Ed Sheeran has spoken onstage for the first time about the “catastrophic” horrors unfolding in the Middle East after support act Macklemore was booted from the English singer-songwriter’s Loop Tour over calls for a free Palestine.

Sheeran opened his Philadelphia concert with a statement acknowledging the snowballing controversy that has resulted in various artists dropping out of the US tour, and widespread commentary slamming the star.

“This is not usually how I would open the show, but before I play some songs tonight, I hope it’s OK if I say a few words about this last week,” Sheeran said on Saturday night.

“I’m used to my music being criticised, and I’m always happy to take that, because I’m lucky a lot of you like my stuff, and I’m not surprised that other people don’t. It’s normal.

“I’ve had to make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I’m so, so sorry.

“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.

“My concerts have always been a safe space, for everyone, and that matters hugely to me.

“Honouring my commitment to my fans is also completely central to who I am, and that is why I am here tonight, on my own, and continuing my current tour.

“But I am deeply worried about the idea that venues should pre-approve content for performers; this happens in so many places that I’ve performed at around the world, but it should never happen in the free world.

“Now, I want to address the issue of where I stand in the situation of Israel and Palestine, and whether my doing this concert here tonight implies where I stand.

“I have tried in my career not to be a political commentator of any kind, because I want my music and shows to be about unity, not division, about humanity, not politics — but this is a humanitarian issue, and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.”

Sheeran doubled down on the claims made in his earlier online statement, detailing onstage the devastation in the Middle East which he had previously touched on with more ambiguity.

“What happened in Israel at the music festival on October 7 [2023] was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain,” he said on stage.

“What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. My heart is being broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilian lives, of childrens’ lives.