British singer Ed Sheeran apologised during a concert in Philadelphia for his decisions in the controversy surrounding Macklemore’s removal from the tour. He described Israel’s treatment of the people of Gaza as «catastrophic, unjustified and disproportionate», and also stated that he was deeply concerned about concert venues scrutinising the content of performers’ statements.
Briefly about the main points
- Shiran has commented for the first time on Macklemore’s exclusion from the concert tour.
- The singer apologised for the decisions he had made at the height of the dispute.
- He condemned Israel’s war in Gaza and mentioned the West Bank.
- Other support acts have pulled out of the tour in support of Macklemore.
- Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the stadium in Philadelphia.
Shiran has changed his previous public stance
At the start of his speech at Lincoln Financial Field Ed Sheeran described the Hamas attack in October 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis, as «horrific». Further Israel’s war in Gaza He described it as catastrophic, disproportionate and unjustifiable.
The singer also spoke of «systemic injustice» in the West Bank, referring to the large-scale expansion Jewish settlements under the current right-wing coalition government in Israel. Earlier this week, Shiran wrote on Instagram that those attending his concerts «do not expect a political forum».
According to OCHA, since the start of 2026, more than 4,000 Palestinians in the West Bank have been displaced as a result of demolitions, evictions, attacks by settlers and related restrictions on access.
The rapper’s exclusion led to the artists pulling out of the tour
The row began after Macklemore claimed that the owner of the New England Patriots Robert Kraft and other stadium owners informed Shiran that the rapper would not be allowed to perform at their venues if he remained on the line-up. This came after he shouted «Free Palestine» during a concert in New Jersey on 4 September, according to Macklemore.
This referred, in particular, to Sheeran’s performances at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on 25 and 26 September. Following the rapper’s removal, the other announced support acts left the tour in a show of solidarity with him. Among them were Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and the Irish band Beoga.
Shiran said that this sort of interference in the content of artists« statements occurs in many of the countries where he performs, but, in his view, this should not happen in the »free world’.
Various views on the dispute were being voiced near the stadium
The Philadelphia gig was Sheeran’s first concert since Macklemore was removed from the tour line-up. Joy Vanrueler, a concert-goer from Pennsylvania, told Reuters that she supports both artists and does not believe that music necessarily has to be political.
Another visitor, a designer Javier Hernández, stated that Macklemore should not have raised political issues from the stage. Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered about half a mile from the arena before the concert began. The organisers explained that they wanted to raise awareness of living conditions in Gaza and local initiatives in support of the Palestinians.
