Ed Sheeran opened a concert Saturday (Sept. 19) with comments about Gaza after controversy swirled around his tour. As previously reported, the supporting acts withdrew in solidarity with the opener, Macklemore. The rapper was dropped after making pro-Palestinian comments onstage. Sheeran began the concert alone on stage with no opener, but was joined by other musicians later in the show.
RELATED: All Of Ed Sheeran’s Supporting Acts Quit His Tour After His Response To Macklemore Being Kicked Off (UPDATE)
What Happened With Macklemore & The Other Acts?
Sheeran spoke on Saturday in front a nearly full stadium after a hectic week that began with Macklemore, Sheeran’s original U.S. opener, being dropped from the tour. His removal was a response to him saying “Free Palestine” during a Sept. 5 show in New Jersey. Sheeran last week said he was not responsible for the decision. Instead, it 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.
Still, within hours of Ed Sheeran’s statement last Tuesday, his supporting acts withdrew. Sheeran has performed many songs solo during his Loop Tour concerts. However, he was joined for several songs at each stop by the Irish folk band Beoga before they dropped out in support of Macklemore. Macklemore was replaced by Danish band Lukas Graham and Irish singer Aaron Rowe before they too backed out. Finneas, Billie Eilish’s brother and musical collaborator, was due to tour with Ed Sheeran in South America later this year. However, he too dropped out last week.
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Macklemore said last Wednesday that he is donating $1 million to support Palestinian relief efforts. The rapper called on Kraft to match the gift. In response, a spokesperson for Kraft has said the billionaire and Ed Sheeran have each agreed to donate $2 million. However, the men have not specified where the money will be directed. Sheeran’s representatives have not responded to AP’s multiple requests for comment.
Ed Sheeran Addresses Tour Fallout & Gaza Situation During Show
The musician said he wants his music and shows to be about unity and humanity, not politics. But he said the attacks in Israel of Oct. 7, 2023, were horrific and what is happening in Gaza “catastrophic and unjustifiable.”
“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,” Sheeran said during his performance at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Ed Sheeran also told the crowd in Philadelphia that everyone is welcome at his concerts, and they can have opposing points of view while still singing his songs, which are about “love, hope and unity.” He also told fans he worries about venues pre-approving performances.
“This happens in so many places that I perform around the world, but it should never happen in the free world,” Sheeran said.
The Grammy winner’s statement was a stark difference from his energy earlier last week. At the time, he was adamant that he wouldn’t be drawn into a discussion of the war in Gaza, arguing that his fans don’t come to his shows to hear about these issues. Also, Sheeran 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.
Protestors Pull Up To Ed Sheeran’s Philly Show
Before Saturday’s show, a small group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators congregated outside the stadium. Hillary Steinberg, 34, said she got concert tickets a year ago but wound up getting a refund and attended the demonstration instead. She was, per the Associated Press, 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.”
Diane Savitz, a 53-year-old from Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, got tickets months ago and attended. She said she is a big Sheeran fan, doesn’t think he did anything wrong and a concert is not 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.”
Associated Press writers Tassanee Vejpongsa and Jessica Hill contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
