Ed Sheeran Makes First Live Statement After Macklemore Exit

What Happened With Ed Sheeran And Macklemore

The September 19 show at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field was the first since rapper Macklemore was removed as an opener for Sheeran’s ongoing Loop Tour.

The removal came after Macklemore used his sets at MetLife Stadium to express his longstanding support for the Palestinian people, showing images from Gaza and performing his 2024 protest song “Hind’s Hall.” In the first show on September 4, Macklemore took the opportunity to say “two words that are very near and dear to my heart – free Palestine.”

Venues on the upcoming leg, including Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s Gillette Stadium, informed tour promoter Messina Touring Group they would cancel shows entirely if Macklemore remained on the bill. After Macklemore’s removal, every other support act on the tour, including Lukas Graham, Finneas, Beoga, and Aaron Rowe, subsequently withdrew in solidarity.

Since then, resale prices for Sheeran’s Philadelphia show fell by about 50 percent and Saturday night’s concert saw the opening time listing move from 5:30 to 8 pm, considering the absence of opening acts.

ForbesEd Sheeran Philadelphia Tickets Slashed By Nearly 50% Following Macklemore ‘Free Palestine’ ControversyBy Antonio Pequeño IV

Sheeran had addressed the situation in a written Instagram statement earlier in the week but had not spoken publicly until Saturday night.

Sheeran also took out the B-stage from his set, where he normally would have stood in closer proximity to the audience, because he was “scared of what might happen”.

What Ed Sheeran Said At The Philadelphia Show: Full Statement

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

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 to be honest, I’m surprised. I’m not surprised that other people don’t, you know, 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.

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 essential to who I am, and that is why I’m 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 perform around the world, but it should never happen in the free world.

Now, I want to address the question of where I stand in the situation in 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. What happened in Israel and at the Nova Music Festival on October 7th 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.

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.

I honestly am so grateful that you’re here tonight with me. This concert is still a place where everyone is welcome, and everyone here can stand beside people that have opposing views, and everyone here can stand beside people that they don’t agree with on everything, but they can all agree on singing these songs.”