Ed Sheeran says situation in Gaza is 'catastrophic and unjustifiable' as
he opens concert
[September 21, 2026]
By TASSANEE VEJPONGSA
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ed Sheeran opened a concert Saturday with comments
about Gaza after controversy swirled around his tour and supporting acts
withdrew in solidarity with opener Macklemore, who was dropped after
making pro-Palestinian comments onstage.
Sheeran began the concert alone on stage with no opener, but was joined
by other musicians later in the show.
Sheeran said he wants his music and shows to be about unity and
humanity, not politics. But he said the attacks in Israel of Oct. 7,
2023, were horrific and what is happening in Gaza “catastrophic and
unjustifiable.”
“I don’t want to disappoint fans, and I’ve never wanted to be an
activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and
passionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex
political issue on the planet,” Sheeran said during his performance at
Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
The comments before a nearly full stadium came after a tumultuous week
that began with rapper Macklemore, Sheeran's original U.S. opener, being
dropped in response to exclaiming “Free Palestine” during a Sept. 5 show
in New Jersey.
Sheeran has said he was not responsible for the decision, which came at
the urging of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. His company owns
a stadium where Sheeran’s tour was scheduled to play on Friday.
Within hours of Sheeran’s statement Tuesday, his supporting acts
withdrew.
Sheeran has performed many songs solo during his Loop Tour concerts, but
was joined for several songs at each stop by the Irish folk band Beoga
before they dropped out in support of Macklemore.
Macklemore was replaced by Danish band Lukas Graham and Irish singer
Aaron Rowe before they backed out, and Finneas, Billie Eilish’s brother
and musical collaborator, was due to tour with Sheeran in South America
later this year before he too dropped out this week.
Before Saturday's show, a small group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators
congregated outside the stadium. Hillary Steinberg, 34, said she got
concert tickets a year ago but wound up getting a refund and attended
the demonstration instead, disappointed that Sheeran did not take a
stand.
“I was, until this week, a big Ed Sheeran fan,” Steinberg said. “I think
all art is political, and all music is political, and so this choice —
even though he was saying that he wasn’t complicit — is a political
choice.”
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Pro Palestinian protesters, right, march past counter protesters
during a protest before an Ed Sheeran concert in Philadelphia,
Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Allie Ippolito)
 Diane Savitz, a 53-year-old from
Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, got tickets months ago and attended. She
said she is a big Sheeran fan, doesn't think he did anything wrong
and a concert is not the place for politics.
“A concert should be for people enjoying the music. Music should
bring people together,” Savitz said. “Everyone has their right to
freedom of speech, but not every platform is the place for it.”
Macklemore said Wednesday he is donating $1 million to support
Palestinian relief efforts and called on Kraft to match the gift; a
spokesperson for Kraft has said the billionaire and Sheeran have
each agreed to donate $2 million but have not specified where the
money will be directed. Sheeran's representatives have not responded
to multiple requests for comment.
Sheeran was the No. 3 top-earning concert act of the millennium so
far, industry magazine Pollstar calculated in late 2025.
Sheeran has said the tour promoter was ultimately responsible for
the decision to drop Macklemore.
The Grammy winner was adamant earlier this week that he wouldn't be
drawn into discussion of the war in Gaza, arguing that his fans
don’t come to his shows to hear about these issues.
He also said he “spoke with the venues at length all week to try to
build a bridge” before Macklemore was dropped. He insisted he would
never willingly let down his fans or abandon the touring crew and
others who rely on him to make a living.
While promoters and venues wield great power over concert tours,
experts say an artist of Sheeran's magnitude generally has the final
say about what happens concerning the shows.
Sheeran told the crowd in Philadelphia that everyone is welcome at
his concerts, and they can have opposing points of view while still
singing his songs, which are about “love, hope and unity.”
He also told fans he worries about venues preapproving performances.
“This happens in so many places that I perform around the world, but
it should never happen in the free world,” Sheeran said.
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