Ed Sheeran Addresses War in Gaza After Macklemore is Dropped From Tour
The singer-songwriter began his Philadelphia show on Saturday night by apologizing for “mistakes” and saying he felt compelled to speak out about the “humanitarian issue.”
Ed Sheeran faced controversy when his opening act Macklemore was dropped from the tour over a statement of support towards Palestine. This prompted the removal of other opening acts and Sheeran's backing band from the tour, leading to significant news coverage and a public relations challenge for the usually uncontroversial musician.
At his first show since the changes, held at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field, Sheeran addressed the crowd before the performance began. He expressed appreciation for the concert-goers and highlighted the gravity of the situation in Israel and Gaza, expressing his sorrow over the devastation and loss of lives. Despite the controversy, Sheeran's show proceeded without incident, with the audience welcoming the event.
The artist, known for his solos performances, altered his show slightly for safety reasons, as he stated that he "was concerned about 'what might happen if [he] stood in the middle' of the crowd."
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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