BS BULLETIN:
- Ed Sheeran opened his Philadelphia concert with an emotional apology following the Macklemore controversy.
- Sheeran admitted he removed a stage positioned among the crowd because he was afraid of what might happen.
- Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside after Macklemore was dropped and Sheeran’s other supporting acts quit.
Ed Sheeran walked onto the stage in Philadelphia Saturday night without his original opening acts — and apparently without knowing what kind of reception was waiting for him.
The singer became emotional as he addressed the fallout from Macklemore’s removal from his Loop Tour, telling the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field that he had made mistakes and was sorry.
“This week has been the worst of my life, and today has been the weirdest,” Sheeran told the audience, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Ed Sheeran addresses the controversy surrounding Macklemore’s removal from his tour and says, “What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable.”
“Before I play some songs tonight, I hope it’s okay if I say a few words about this last week,” Sheeran said at the top of… pic.twitter.com/ZhtujolkKK
— Variety (@Variety) September 20, 2026
The turmoil began after Macklemore used his opening slot at MetLife Stadium to deliver pro-Palestinian messages, repeatedly chanting “Free Palestine” while performing “Hind’s Hall” and displaying images from Gaza.
Macklemore was subsequently removed from the tour.
Sheeran previously said the decision was driven by promoters and venues that would not permit Macklemore to continue performing. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium, confirmed that he opposed Macklemore appearing there, citing the rapper’s recent performance and what Kraft called a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery.
The fallout didn’t end with Macklemore.
Supporting acts Finneas, Aaron Rowe and Lukas Graham withdrew from the tour, along with Sheeran’s longtime backing band Beoga.
By Saturday night, Sheeran acknowledged that he wasn’t sure what would happen when he faced an audience again.
“I didn’t know if I would have things thrown at me,” he said.
Sheeran revealed that he had even altered the physical setup of the concert.
“I took the B stage out because I was afraid what might happen if I stood in the middle, and I will admit that.”
He assembled a replacement band on only three days’ notice and continued with the Philadelphia performance.
Outside Lincoln Financial Field, dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered carrying flags and signs and protesting Macklemore’s removal.
Inside, Sheeran addressed both sides of the Israel-Gaza conflict.
He described the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack in Israel as horrific and said it compounded “centuries of Jewish pain.”
He then said the situation in Gaza was “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate,” adding that the loss of civilian and children’s lives had broken his heart.
Sheeran said he was also deeply concerned about venues pre-approving performers’ content and argued that such restrictions “should never happen in the free world.”
Despite the controversy, Sheeran said he wasn’t abandoning the tour.
He told the Philadelphia audience that his concerts were intended to bring together people with different views through music.
And after admitting he’d arrived wondering whether objects might be hurled his way, Sheeran ended the night with a decidedly different assessment.
He called Philadelphia the best show he had ever played.
DBS WIRE SOURCES:
- Fox News — Ed Sheeran apologizes for Macklemore backlash, encourages unity
- Fox News — Read Ed Sheeran’s full Philadelphia speech
- Philadelphia Inquirer — Protesters descend on Lincoln Financial Field
- Philadelphia Inquirer — Sheeran calls Philadelphia concert his “best ever”
- CBS Philadelphia — Sheeran addresses Gaza and Macklemore controversy
