Ed Sheeran addressed the war in Gaza during his solo concert in Philadelphia on Saturday, calling the situation “catastrophic and unjustifiable" while emphasizing that he wants his performances to focus on unity and humanity rather than politics, The Associated Press reported.
“My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, of children’s lives," Sheeran said during the concert at Lincoln Financial Field.
“I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I’m so, so sorry," he added.
The singer's remarks came amid continued controversy over the decision to remove rapper Macklemore from his tour. Macklemore had been scheduled as Sheeran's opening act but came under fire after using performances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey earlier this month to call for a “Free Palestine." He also said that reaching large American audiences with that message was one of the reasons he joined Sheeran's tour.
Macklemore announced Monday that he had been dropped from the tour and blamed New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, claiming Kraft had spoken with Sheeran and threatened to cancel the singer's planned concerts if Macklemore remained part of the lineup.
Kraft later explained his decision to bar Macklemore from Gillette Stadium, which he owns, pointing to the rapper's “recent actions" on stage as well as “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community."
“I would welcome the opportunity to sit down with Macklemore and discuss the facts, because ultimately our goal is the same - peace for all people, an end to suffering, and an end to all hate," Kraft said.
Sheeran addressed the dispute earlier in the week, making clear that he was not responsible for Macklemore's removal. He said he had spent the previous week speaking with venues after some warned they would pull out of his concerts if Macklemore continued to perform.
“I was informed that this stance was based on how Macklemore conveyed part of his message during his performance, rather than everything that was said," Sheeran said. “I spoke with venues at length all week to try and build a bridge. One of those people was Robert Kraft."
Sheeran said Macklemore's agreement was with the concert promoter rather than with him personally, and that the promoter ultimately made the decision to remove the rapper. At the same time, Sheeran praised Macklemore's “strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes."
The controversy also led other artists scheduled to support Sheeran to withdraw. Danish band Lukas Graham and Irish singer Aaron Rowe had replaced Macklemore as the tour's US opening acts before pulling out themselves.
Finneas, the brother and musical collaborator of Billie Eilish, was also scheduled to join Sheeran for his South American tour later this year but subsequently withdrew.
Tickets for Saturday night's Philadelphia concert remained available as of the afternoon, while Sheeran's website did not list replacement opening acts.
Before the concert, approximately 50 pro-Palestinian Arab demonstrators gathered outside Lincoln Financial Field, according to Fox News. The group waved Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) flags and chanted "Free Palestine".