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Ed Sheeran took the stage Saturday night, issuing a teary apology to the fans who showed up to his solo concert in Philadelphia after a week of chaos.
Sheeran found himself embroiled in controversy after his support act, rapper Macklemore, was dropped from the tour over pro-Palestinian remarks he made on stage. The subsequent fallout saw Sheeran’s other openers quit and drew protests outside Saturday night’s show in Philadelphia.
He opened his Lincoln Financial Field show as part of his ongoing Loop tour by addressing the criticism he’s received, saying, “I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes. I’m so, so sorry. I don’t want to disappoint fans.
“I want my music and shows to be about unity, not division; about humanity, not politics,” he continued.
“But this is a humanitarian issue. I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore. What happened in Israel, and at the music festival on October 7th was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate,” the “Shape of You” singer said.
“My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilian loss and loss of children’s lives. And the systemic injustice we’re seeing unfolding the West Bank cannot be overlooked.”
Sheeran — in his first public statement since his Instagram post addressed Macklemore’s firing — also said he felt that honoring his commitment to his fans is “completely central to who I am.”
“And that is why I’m here tonight, on my own, and continuing my current tour.”
The concert, originally scheduled to kick off at 5:30 p.m. ET, was pushed to 8 p.m. following the fallout from the controversy, which saw ticket prices plummet after Sheeran’s openers quit.
Earlier this week, Macklemore announced that he had been dropped as the support act for the remainder of Sheeran’s U.S. tour dates, claiming that the singer told him that Robert Kraft — the CEO of Kraft Group who owns Gillette Stadium — had personally called to say that he would not be allowed to perform at the venue.
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Hours after Sheeran said he would not be drawn into a public debate about the Gaza war and that the decision to remove Macklemore was “the promoter’s decision,” Irish acts Aaron Rowe and Beoga, the Danish band Lukas Graham, and Finneas announced on Instagram that they were withdrawing from the tour.
Rowe was one of Macklemore’s replacements for Sheeran’s remaining U.S. dates, while Beoga was serving as Sheeran’s touring band. Finneas, Billie Eilish’s brother and musical collaborator, was due to tour with Sheeran in South America later this year.
As the backlash over Macklemore’s firing grew, the rapper announced on social media that he would donate $1 million in net earnings from his appearances on Sheeran’s tour to organizations aiding Palestinians, while challenging Kraft to match the sum.
Kraft and Sheeran then each pledged $2 million toward humanitarian relief for Palestinians.
Still, the controversy escalated to the point where protesters showed up Saturday night outside of Lincoln Financial Field, chanting, per TMZ, “F*** your concert, f*** your fans. Palestine is our demand.”
Sheeran is next slated to take the stage September 25 at Kraft’s Gillette Stadium.