Becoming emotional at the end of his set, Sheeran reflected on being told to cancel the gig, adding: “I’m feeling all of my friends and family and people I know abandon me.”

Ed Sheeran has apologised to fans and addressed the controversy surrounding his Loop Tour after rapper Macklemore was removed from the US leg of the tour over his pro-Palestinian comments.

Sheeran spoke about the dispute during his solo performance at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Saturday night. All of his scheduled supporting acts, including his touring band, had withdrawn from the tour following Macklemore’s removal.

Macklemore was dropped from the remaining US shows after making comments supporting Palestinians during a September 4 performance at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. The decision followed objections from venue owners and others over his remarks.

Sheeran told the Philadelphia audience that he had made difficult decisions and mistakes and apologised to fans who had been affected by the controversy.

The singer said he had tried to avoid becoming a political commentator throughout his career and wanted his concerts to focus on unity rather than division. However, he said he could no longer hide his feelings about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Sheeran described the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel as horrific and said the situation in Gaza was “catastrophic and unjustifiable”. He also spoke about the loss of civilian and children’s lives.

The singer previously said that Macklemore’s removal was not his decision. Sheeran said the decision was made by the tour promoter after venue owners objected to Macklemore appearing at their stadiums.

Support Acts Leave Tour

The controversy intensified after the other scheduled support acts announced that they would no longer take part in the tour.

Those who withdrew include Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Irish band Beoga, which performs with Sheeran as his touring band.

As a result, Sheeran performed without his usual supporting acts in Philadelphia.

During the concert, Sheeran thanked the audience for attending and said the venue remained a place where people with different views could come together through music.

He became emotional while discussing the backlash, saying he had felt abandoned during the controversy but was grateful to see thousands of fans still attending his show.

Pro-Palestinian Protest Near Venue

A small pro-Palestinian demonstration also took place near Lincoln Financial Field before the concert.

Some protesters criticised the handling of Macklemore’s removal, while reactions among fans have been mixed.

Sheeran’s Loop Tour began in Auckland, New Zealand, in January and is scheduled to continue across North and South America before concluding in Mexico City in December.

The controversy has brought renewed debate over freedom of speech, artists’ political expression and the role of venues and promoters in deciding who can perform at major concerts.