Ed Sheeran Finally Addresses the Controversy on Philly Stage

Ed Sheeran had a tough week.

So, by the time he went on stage Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field, Ed had a few things he wanted to say.

After all, in the past week, one of Sheeran's opening acts, rapper Macklemore, made pro-Palestinian remarks on stage during recent tour stops at MetLife Stadium that sparked criticism from some groups and eventually led to Macklemore being removed from the remaining dates of the tour.

That started the dominoes tumbling as Ed watched all of his opening acts bow out of the remainder of the Loop Tour, along with his backing band in support of Macklemore.

Saturday at the Linc, Sheeran brought out a replacement group of musicians to back him on several songs, including the lilting Galway Girl.

A smaller “B-stage”, which had positioned Sheeran much closer to the crowd during intimate sections of earlier shows, was removed. Sheeran explained that he didn’t want to risk having things thrown at him.

“I took the B-stage out because I was afraid what might happen if I stood in the middle, and I will admit that,” he said, grinning sheepishly.

Over the past week, Sheeran had been dragged into an argument about free speech and the biggest controversy of his career, facing pressure from venue owners – including Robert Kraft, the billionaire who owns Gillette Stadium and the New England Patriots – to drop Macklemore from the lineup, saying that his removal “was the promoter’s decision; it was not mine”.

He had faced widespread criticism from both sides of the argument and been left in an unenviable position. So Ed was ready to tell his side by the time he took the stage on Saturday.

Here is what Ed Sheeran had to say.

Ed Sheeran's Comments Opening His Philadelphia Show

"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. Of course.

"My concerts have always been a safe space for everyone, and that matters hugely to me. Honoring my commitment to my fans is also completely central to who I am, and that is why I'm here tonight on my own and continuing my current tour.

"But I am deeply worried about the idea that venues should pre-approve content for performance. This happens in so many places that I perform around the world, but it should never happen in the free world.

"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. 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.

"What happened in Israel at the Nova music festival on October 7th was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic, unjustifiable, and disproportionate. My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians' lives, of children's lives. And the systemic injustice we're seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked.

"I am already speaking to people across the spectrum 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.