Ed Sheeran addresses Gaza at Philadelphia solo concert

Ed Sheeran opened his solo concert in Philadelphia on Saturday, Sept. 19, with extended remarks about Gaza and the loss of civilian life.

The show took place at Lincoln Financial Field. Sheeran told the crowd he wants his music and concerts to be about unity and humanity, not politics, according to Billboard.

He described the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks in Israel as horrific. He then described what is happening in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable” and “disproportionate,” the latter word reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, of children’s lives,” Sheeran said in Philadelphia.

The remarks followed a week of upheaval around his live dates. Macklemore, his original United States opening act, was removed after exclaiming “Free Palestine” during a Sept. 5 show in New Jersey. Macklemore had also displayed images of the war in Gaza at an earlier date, and his remarks criticised Israeli government actions in Gaza and the West Bank.

Sheeran said he was not responsible for the decision to drop Macklemore. He said it came at the urging of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and that the tour promoter was ultimately responsible. In a statement on Tuesday, Sheeran said he had spoken with the venues at length all week to try to build a bridge before the removal went ahead.

The line-up has shifted several times since. Within hours of Sheeran’s Tuesday statement, his supporting acts withdrew from the tour. Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe, who had been brought in to replace Macklemore, then backed out. Finneas, who had been due to join Sheeran in South America later this year, also dropped out earlier this week.

Much of Sheeran’s Loop Tour has now been performed solo. He has been joined for several songs at each stop by Irish folk band Beoga.

There have also been competing donation pledges. Macklemore said on Wednesday he is donating $1 million to support Palestinian relief efforts and called on Kraft to match the gift. A spokesperson for Kraft said Kraft and Sheeran have each agreed to donate $2 million, though they have not specified where the money will be directed.

What makes this stand out is the setting. Stadium concerts rarely carry this kind of direct address. Sheeran chose to speak at the start of the night, in front of his own crowd, before playing alone.