Pop star Ed Sheeran broke his silence on Saturday, September 19, 2026, during a concert at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, calling the situation in Gaza catastrophic, injustifiable and disproportionate following a severe public backlash over the sudden removal of opening act Macklemore from his tour.
The British singer-songwriter admitted to navigating the most difficult week of his career after his previous silence drew sharp criticism from fans and fellow artists alike. The fallout intensified earlier in the week when the supporting artist was dropped from the tour following statements calling to liberate Palestine during performances.
Macklemore
The mise à l’écart on Monday, under the pressure of American stadium owners, of the artist who had been ensuring his opening acts and called in early September to liberate Palestine
earned the British musician a deluge of criticism unprecedented for a musician who had been very consensual until then. At a time when a growing number of artists are speaking out on the conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas and its heavy toll on the Palestinian side—73,000 dead and 174,000 injured—the 35-year-old English artist had already maintained on Instagram on Tuesday that he did not want to make his profession a political platform.
I am not complicit. I have my personal opinions on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to express myself publicly doesn’t mean I don’t have them, or that I don’t feel concerned, he had added previously. Accused of failing to defend his friend Macklemore and of lacking the courage to denounce the fate of the Palestinians, the former street guitarist who became one of the most streamed singers of his generation was dropped by other artists participating in his tour, including singer Finneas, brother of star Billie Eilish.
Addressing Gaza and Expressing Regret in Philadelphia
Lincoln Financial Field
Standing before the crowd at the start of his show, the 35-year-old musician offered direct remarks regarding the Middle East conflict. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic, unjustifiable and disproportionate, he declared at the opening of his show at the Lincoln Financial Field. Our hearts are broken at the scale of devastation and the deaths of civilians and children, and the systemic injustice we are witnessing in the West Bank (occupied by Israel since 1967, ed.) cannot be ignored, he added, without explicitly designating Israel as responsible. He also denounced the “atrocious” attacks led by the Islamic movement Hamas on October 7, 2023, which provoked the war in Gaza.
The singer also addressed his personal handling of the crisis, telling the audience, I’ve had to make difficult decisions, I make mistakes and I’m really, really sorry. Acclaimed by his audience, the author of the planetary hit “Shape of You” began his concert alone and without an opening act. He was later joined by five musicians who, he said, learned his songs in three days, while nobody wanted to get on stage with me.
Boycott Calls, Tour Disruption, and Public Fallout
Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel
On Saturday, a pro-Palestinian collective, the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), urged artists, fans, and professionals to boycott the concerts of Ed Sheeran, who is touring across multiple continents. Several fans of the British artist interviewed by AFP in Philadelphia confided that they had hesitated to come because of the controversy, while others said they had revised their plans.
Protests Outside the Lincoln Financial Field
Brandon Ateke
Dozens of demonstrators gathered peacefully in the run-up to the show near the Lincoln Financial Field, as well as near a subway station close to the concert venue. Some waved Palestinian flags and chanted Free Palestine.
Police officers stationed a stone’s throw away in about ten vehicles monitored this peaceful gathering. Brandon Ateke, an 18-year-old student at Brown University, accused Ed Sheeran of “complicity” in the exclusion of Macklemore: I decided not to attend the concert and, instead, to participate in the demonstration to highlight the genocide taking place today in Gaza.
On the resale market, since Monday, tickets for the show were exchanged at a slightly steadier pace than for previous dates on the tour, according to figures from the specialized platform TicketData. The price of the cheapest tickets plummeted from 123 to 48 dollars on Saturday evening, and ultimately, the stadium was filled.
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