Pop star Ed Sheeran spoke out about the situation in Gaza during his first performance since controversy erupted over his opening acts. He said what is happening in Gaza is ‘catastrophic and unjustifiable’ as he opened his concert.
The controversy began when rapper Macklemore made pro-Palestinian comments at a New Jersey show earlier this month, according to Billboard. Venue owners opposed his participation and
Pop star Ed Sheeran spoke out about the situation in Gaza during his first performance since controversy erupted over his opening acts. He said what is happening in Gaza is ‘catastrophic and unjustifiable’ as he opened his concert.
The controversy began when rapper Macklemore made pro-Palestinian comments at a New Jersey show earlier this month, according to Billboard. Venue owners opposed his participation and pushed for him to be removed from the tour.
That led other opening acts to leave the tour in solidarity with Macklemore. Sheeran’s backing band Beoga and several other musicians also pulled out of the tour, according to a report from bgnes.com.
Sheeran has said Macklemore’s removal was the decision of the tour promoter and not his own. He also said he spent days speaking with venues in an effort to resolve the dispute. The Associated Press reported that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft urged that Macklemore be removed from a show at Gillette Stadium.
He had previously posted on Instagram that he has personal views on the conflict but chose not to speak publicly. Critics called for a boycott of his concerts and urged fans not to attend.
Sheeran addressed the crowd in Philadelphia before the show began, acknowledging the difficult situation. He admitted to making mistakes and apologized for his handling of the controversy.
He described the events of October 7th at the Nova music festival as horrific and said Gaza’s current situation is disproportionate. Sheeran also expressed sorrow over civilian casualties and the injustice in the West Bank.
He said he is trying to learn more and contribute to helping those affected by the conflict. The concert was still a place where everyone could feel welcome, he added.
Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered near the stadium before the concert while fans entered Lincoln Financial Field. Philadelphia police had also announced that security would be increased for the concert.
Sheeran’s Loop Tour usually features him performing alone with loop pedals to create backing tracks. With the tour openers and backing band gone, his performance felt more isolated than usual.
Sheeran began the Philadelphia show alone with no opening act. Other musicians joined him later in the concert, according to the Associated Press.
Despite the unusual circumstances, Sheeran continued with his usual performance style and humor.
He joked about how often he appears in the news, and made light of the recent changes to his tour. Before the final songs, Sheeran gave a longer statement that referenced his earlier remarks.
Reuters spoke with fans at the concert who said they continued to support Sheeran despite the controversy. Ticket prices for the Philadelphia concert dropped on the secondary market after the controversy.
The cheapest ticket listed by TickPick fell from about $100 early in the week to $51 by Friday morning. Forbes reported that the number of tickets available on the secondary market had also increased by 54 percent.
The event marked a return to performance for Sheeran after a major disruption in his tour schedule. He emphasized that the concert was still a space where people with different views could come together.
Sheeran also raised concerns about venues reviewing or restricting performers’ content before shows. He said such restrictions should not happen in countries that protect freedom of expression.
IMAGE: Ed Sheeran. Photo: Eva Rinaldi from Sydney, Australia / Wikimedia, taken 2013-02-26, CC BY-SA 2.0