Ed Sheeran breaks down during 1st concert amid Macklemore tour fallout

Ed Sheeran opened his concert Saturday with comments about Gaza after controversy swirled around his tour and supporting acts withdrew in solidarity with opener Macklemore , after the rapper was removed from the bill for comments he made on the tour stage in support of a Palestinian state.

Sheeran began the concert at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia alone on stage with no opener but he was joined by other musicians later in the show.

“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,” he began.

“I’m used to my music being criticized, and I’m always happy to take that because I’m lucky a lot of you like my stuff, and to be honest, I’m surprised. I’m not surprised that other people don’t. It’s normal. But this week, the criticism was about something much more important, and I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I’m so so sorry.”

Sheeran said that he doesn’t want to “disappoint fans” and he 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 essential to who I am, and that is why I’m here tonight on my own and continuing my current tour,” the Shape of You singer told the crowd.

In a statement last week , Sheeran said the decision to remove Macklemore from the tour wasn’t his and placed blame on the promoter Messina Touring Group.

“I am deeply worried about the idea that venues should pre-approve content for performers,” Sheeran said on stage Saturday. “This happens in so many places that I perform around the world, but it should never happen in the free world.”

“Now, I want to address the question of where I stand on Israel and Palestine, and whether my doing this concert here tonight implies where I stand,” he continued. “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.

“What happened in Israel and at the Nova Music Festival on October 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic, unjustifiable, and disproportionate. My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, of children’s lives,” Sheeran said. “The systemic injustice we’re seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked. 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.”

The 35-year-old singer thanked his fans for standing by him, saying, “I honestly am so grateful that you’re here tonight with me.