Ed Sheeran admits 'mistakes' as he addresses Macklemore controversy at Philadelphia show
BBC Homepage
Skip to content
Accessibility Help
Your account
Home
News
Sport
Earth
Reel
Worklife
Travel
Culture
Future
Music
TV
Weather
Sounds
More menu
Search BBC
Home
News
Climate
World
UK
Business
Tech
Science
Entertainment & Arts
Health
In Pictures
BBC Verify
Newsbeat
World
Africa
Asia
Australia
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
US & Canada
Singer Ed Sheeran opened his latest concert alone onstage and apologised to fans for making "mistakes" as he handled the fallout over rapper Macklemore being dropped from his tour over pro-Palestinian remarks.
"I never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about free speech and the most complex political issue on the planet," he said during Saturday's Philadelphia show.
He also called the situation in Gaza "unjustifiable" in his first in-person remarks on the matter since the controversy erupted.
The concert was a stripped-down event, and Sheeran performed without opening acts after several musicians left his tour. The price for tickets dropped and sales declined for the remaining US leg of his Loop Tour due to the controversy.
"My concerts have always been a safe space for everyone," he said at the start of Saturday's show, adding that he is committed to his fans and that is why he returned to the stage. "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."
Sheeran said what happened in Israel during the 7 October 2023 attacks was "horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain". He added: "What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. My heart has been broken by the scale of of devastation and loss of civilian lives, of children's lives, and this systemic injustice we're seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked."
He said he is trying "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".
Sheeran then closed his statement by saying that he hoped his concert could be a place where everyone could gather irrespective of their beliefs.
Image sources:
Image caption:
Fans filtered in ahead of the show, which began almost three hours later than planned.
Sheeran's remaining tour dates are scheduled with shows set throughout North and South America. While the mega-star's previous tour was among the highest-grossing of all time, some ticket prices for this show dropped to $32 (£24). Fans also reported being able to get ticket refunds, though Ticketmaster and concert promoter Messina Touring Group did not confirm they were being reimbursed. There was a smattering of press cameras outside the entry gates, though most fans skipped talking to the press. A few dozen protesters turned up outside the nearest tube stop waving flags as ticket holders streamed towards Lincoln Financial.