Ed Sheeran became emotional on stage as he thanked fans for their support following a turbulent week which saw Macklemore removed from his tour and several other performers subsequently withdraw.
The British singer was performing at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday night when he addressed the crowd following days of controversy surrounding his Loop Tour.
Sheeran told fans the previous week had been among the worst of his life before describing the Philadelphia concert as the “best show” he had ever played.
In footage circulating on social media, the 35-year-old also spoke about discovering “who my friends are” during difficult situations and appeared emotional as he thanked the audience for supporting him.
Earlier in the concert, Sheeran addressed the Israel-Gaza conflict directly, describing what is happening in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable”. He also referred to the Hamas-led attacks in Israel on 7 October 2023 and the historical suffering of Jewish people.
“This is a humanitarian issue and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore,” Sheeran told the audience, according to reports from the concert.
The performance was Sheeran’s first since his tour became embroiled in controversy over the removal of American rapper Macklemore, who had made pro-Palestinian comments during an earlier performance in New Jersey.
Sheeran has said the decision to remove Macklemore was not his and attributed it to the tour promoter following objections from stadium owners.
The fallout continued when Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Irish band Beoga withdrew from upcoming appearances in solidarity with Macklemore.
Sheeran ultimately performed the Philadelphia concert without his supporting acts. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators also gathered outside the stadium ahead of the performance.
The singer’s comments marked a more explicit public statement on Gaza than he had previously made during the dispute, while he maintained that he wants his concerts to be centred on music, unity and humanity rather than party politics.
