Singer Ed Sheeran has apologised to fans for making “mistakes”, as he opened a solo show in Philadelphia by addressing the controversy that has engulfed his tour.
The star responded to the fallout over rapper Macklemore being dropped from the tour for making pro-Palestinian remarks on stage earlier in September.
“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 at Saturday’s show.
He described the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks as “horrific” and called the situation in Gaza “unjustifiable” in his first in-person remarks since the controversy began.
Several artists left the tour and the price of tickets dropped and sales declined for the remaining US leg of his Loop Tour due to the controversy.
The singer has said the decision to drop Macklemore was made by his promoters, not him.
“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,” he said.
“I have tried in my career not to be a political commentator of any kind, because I want my music and shows to be about unity, not division; about humanity, not politics. But this is a humanitarian issue, and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.”
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”.
