Ed Sheeran was a mostly apolitical and uncontroversial artist before Macklemore was removed as the opener for his Loop Tour. The rapper's advocacy for Palestine during his set led to backlash from other fellow artists and from Robert Kraft, the owner of Gillette Stadium who threatened to ax Sheeran's show there if the rapper remained. Last night (Saturday, September 19), the superstar singer addressed the situation at his first show since not just Macklemore's removal, but also since his backing band Beoga and openers Finneas, Lukas Graham, and Aaron Rowe dropped out of the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
Variety shared a partial clip of Sheeran's onstage remarks at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field. The show faced protests outside the venue before its start time, and followed statements from Macklemore, Robert Kraft, and Ed Sheeran himself. Kraft claimed responsibility for efforts to remove Macklemore. But he did not respond to the rapper's accusations that other venue owners also colluded with him.
Per Variety, Sheeran said he was sorry for making mistakes throughout this process. He also said he didn't include a B-stage for this performance because he was afraid of how people might react to him being in the middle of a crowd.
Ed Sheeran Breaks Silence
Sheeran expressed worry about venues pre-approving of concerts' content, adding onto his previous claims that he was not responsible for Macklemore's removal. The rapper, on the other hand, pledged $1 million to Palestinian relief and kept the focus on the ongoing devastation of Palestinian people at the hands of the Israeli state. Ed also called the October 7 attacks in Israel "horrific," while calling ongoing military destruction of Palestine and its people "catastrophic and unjustifiable, and disproportionate," as well as reflective of "systemic injustice."
Also, he said he's working to learn more about the situation and contribute to the assistance of victims "across the spectrum." Ed Sheeran emphasized he wants his shows to be a safe space that celebrates humanity and unity, not politics.
Towards the end of the show, he thanked fans who were in attendance. We will see if anyone else involved in this situation speaks out.
Read More: Lil Durk’s Racketeering Charges, Explained
