Ed Sheeran says situation in Gaza is 'catastrophic and unjustifiable' as he opens solo concert

Primary Journalistic Dispatch & Direct Reporting

FILE - Ed Sheeran attends the Time100 Gala, in New York on April 24, 2025.

PHILADELPHIA - Ed Sheeran opened a solo 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.

World How Ed Sheeran's tour became a flashpoint over Gaza and free speech

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."

In-Depth Developments & Factual Context

"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.

Industry Impact & Strategic Analysis

Sheeran has performed much of his Loop Tour concerts solo, but he was joined for several songs at each stop by the Irish folk band Beoga. 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."

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.

Forward Outlook & Market Perspective

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators hold signs during a "Free Palestine" protest before an Ed Sheeran concert in Philadelphia, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026.

"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's Loop Tour was the highest-grossing in the world, with an average box office gross of over $7 million per city, Pollstar said in May. Through the end of 2025, Sheeran was the No. 3 top-earning concert act since 2021.

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