Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran took the stage in Philadelphia on Saturday night to address the controversy surrounding his tour and the removal of rapper Macklemore as an opening act. Macklemore had been removed from the Loop Tour after speaking out in support of Palestine during a performance at MetLife Stadium. The decision to remove Macklemore came after several stadium operators, including New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, expressed objections to his remarks.
Sheeran said the choice to remove Macklemore was not his own and that the tour promoter faced pressure from venue owners, according to Rolling Stone. He explained that he felt compelled to speak publicly about the situation during his Philadelphia show. Sheeran said he had never wanted to be an activist musician but felt pulled into a larger conversation about freedom of speech and political issues.
He emphasized that his concerts are meant to be safe spaces for everyone regardless of their views. Sheeran shared his thoughts on the Israel-Gaza conflict, stating that what happened in Israel on October 7 was horrific and that what is happening in Gaza is catastrophic. He also called the situation in Gaza unjustifiable and disproportionate. He also spoke about the pain of civilians and children affected by the conflict, saying it has broken his heart. Sheeran also criticized what he called systemic injustice in the West Bank.
Sheeran has pledged $2 million toward humanitarian aid in the region, matching a similar donation from Robert Kraft, according to a report from Consequence. Kraft said Sheeran had asked him to match the $2 million contribution before Macklemore publicly challenged Kraft to donate. Macklemore has separately pledged $1 million to Palestinian aid organizations. He expressed gratitude to fans who stood by him during this difficult time and reiterated his belief that everyone should be welcome at his concerts.
Following Macklemore’s removal, several other opening acts including Finneas, Lukas Graham, and Aaron Rowe also withdrew from the tour in solidarity. Beoga, the Irish group that had been serving as Sheeran’s backing band, also left the tour.
Rowe, who had been performing as an opener for Sheeran, said he could not continue with the tour due to his support for Macklemore’s free speech rights, TheWrap reported. He criticized venue owners like Robert Kraft for attempting to silence voices that speak out against injustice. Rowe also said he had not spoken with Sheeran extensively but believed the singer understood that the removal was a mistake.
Sheeran admitted to feeling uncertain about how the audience might react and even apologized for the unusual nature of this particular concert. He said he had removed a secondary stage from the setup due to concerns about his personal safety. Sheeran said he feared objects could be thrown at him if he performed from the secondary stage in the middle of the crowd.
Sheeran introduced collaborators and musicians who supported him in this moment, including Alicia Enstrom. The replacement musicians had only three days to learn the songs before the Philadelphia performance. Sheeran introduced Mike on drums, CJ on keyboards, Eric on bass, Clay on guitar and Enstrom on violin.
He noted that many of the people on stage were aware of how controversial his position might be but chose to stand with him anyway. The concert was a moment for Sheeran to express his views on both freedom of speech and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
IMAGE: Ed Sheeran. Photo: Eva Rinaldi from Sydney, Australia / Wikimedia, taken 2013-02-26, CC BY-SA 2.0