Ed Sheeran has spoken onstage for the first time about the “catastrophic” horrors unfolding in the Middle East after support act Macklemore was booted from the English singer-songwriter’s Loop Tour over calls for a free Palestine.
Sheeran opened his Philadelphia concert with a statement acknowledging the snowballing controversy that has resulted in various artists dropping out of the US tour, and commentary slamming the star.
“This is not usually how I would open the show, but before I play some songs tonight, I hope it’s OK if I say a few words about this last week,” Sheeran said on Saturday night.
“But this week the criticism was about something much more important.”
“My concerts have always been a safe space, for everyone, and that matters to me.”
Sheeran stood by the claims made in his earlier online statement, detailing onstage the devastation in the Middle East which he had before touched on with more ambiguity.
“What happened in Israel at the music festival on October 7 [2023] was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain,” he said on stage.
“What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate.”
Sheeran fought back tears as he thanked the crowd for their ongoing support.
Sheeran said that his shows and music were about escapism and that he has other ways of supporting causes.
Macklemore, meanwhile, has named six organisations that will receive his $1 million: the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, American Near East Refugee Aid and the UNRWA USA National Committee.