Ed Sheeran ended his Philadelphia show in tears and told fans “America is a scary place right now” after his feel-good stadium tour got hijacked by Israel-Gaza politics, activist openers and a Macklemore meltdown.
The 35-year-old singer stood at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday night apologizing to parents and trying to explain why a concert built around pop hits had opened with Middle East politics.
“I’m so grateful,” Sheeran told fans. “The world is a scary place right now. America is a scary place right now. This gives hope. This gives hope.”
He then addressed families who bought tickets before his tour turned into a public loyalty test.
'The world is a scary place right now, America is a scary place' — Ed Sheeran tears up amid Macklemore controversy https://t.co/lkwC1rvnzE pic.twitter.com/jJeWKyRlM5
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“The one thing that I would like to apologize for is the first bit of the show where it wasn’t about music and I had to talk,” Sheeran said.
He said he understood that parents had not paid to hear that opening speech, but added that it was “something I felt like I needed to say.”
Sheeran tried to pull the night back to his usual concert sermon about unity, love and family, then promised the political mess would not push him away from the stage.
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“You’re jumping around like maniacs with each other and having fun,” he said. “And I will never stop doing this. I will never stop doing this. I love doing this so much.”
The weepy finale came after a week in which Sheeran looked trapped between keeping his tour alive, appeasing furious artists and explaining why Macklemore had been booted from the Loop tour.
Macklemore, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, claimed Sheeran told him that Robert Kraft, the billionaire chief executive officer and chairman of the Kraft Group, had made it clear the rapper would not be welcome at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts.
“Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium,” Macklemore wrote.
Macklemore also claimed Sheeran said Kraft had rallied other stadium owners and delivered an ultimatum that Sheeran would not be allowed to play their venues if Macklemore stayed on the tour.
Sheeran later used Instagram to push the blame away from himself, saying Macklemore’s removal was the promoter’s decision.
He said he would not abandon fans who had made plans, or the touring crew, support acts and musicians who relied on him for work.
The singer said he had “personal views on this devastating conflict,” but had chosen “not to speak publicly” before the tour drama dragged him into the open.
Finneas, Billie Eilish’s brother, pulled out of upcoming dates and said “artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed.”
Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham and Sheeran’s longtime backing folk band Beoga also withdrew, leaving Sheeran to tell Philadelphia that he would “continue my current tour” while apologizing from the stage.
Sheeran said he had been forced into hard choices, was making mistakes and was “so, so sorry.”
He also said he never wanted to become “an activist musician,” but had been pulled into a fight over free speech in “the most complex political issue on the planet.”
At the beginning of the Philadelphia show, Sheeran framed his public pivot as something he had tried to avoid throughout his career.
“I have tried in my career not to be a political commentator of any kind because I want my music and shows to be about unity and not division, about humanity and not politics,” Sheeran said. “But this is a humanitarian issue and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.”
He called what happened at Israel’s Nova music festival on October 7 “horrific” and said it had “compounded centuries of Jewish pain.”
A concertgoer captured and shared video as Sheeran shifted to Gaza, calling the situation there “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate.”
Sheeran said his heart had been broken by the civilian and child deaths, and said the “systemic injustice” unfolding in the West Bank “cannot be overlooked.”
He also complained about the idea of venues having power over what artists say from the stage.
“I am deeply worried about the idea that venues’ pre-approved content performance,” he said. “This happens in so many places that I’ve gone around the world, but it should never happen in the free world.”
Kraft said Wednesday that Sheeran had asked him to match the singer’s $2 million donation for people suffering from the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, and said Sheeran “now plans to reach out to other venue owners.”
Macklemore had already announced that he would give $1 million from his Loop tour earnings to six organizations supporting Palestinians and invited Kraft to do the same, but Kraft said Sheeran’s request came first.
“Our goal is to continue to work together to build bridges,” Kraft said.
Kraft also said he had spent decades supporting efforts that create opportunities for Palestinians and bring young Palestinians and Israelis together through business, jobs and relationships.
SNL UK mocked Sheeran fans during “Weekend Update,” with Magliano joking that the Israel-Palestine conflict had “just” become serious because Sheeran’s U.S. tour was under threat.
“Will Sheeran have to cancel the tour?” Magliano said. “There’s a very real risk that he won’t.”
Magliano added that the crisis was the worst thing to happen to Sheeran fans “since their head injury.”
Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy sided with Kraft and said Macklemore had no right to turn someone else’s venue into a political stage.
“I back Robert Kraft banning Macklemore from performing at Gillette 1000% and thank him for having a spine when many others in his shoes don’t,” Portnoy said in a video posted to X.
Portnoy said Macklemore was turning the concert into a “political rally,” then argued that Kraft had the right to keep him out of a stadium he owns.
Portnoy also pointed to Macklemore’s 2014 Seattle performance, when the rapper wore a dark suit, fake beard and prosthetic nose and later apologized after criticism that the costume invoked antisemitic Jewish caricatures.
Bill Maher revived the same costume episode on HBO’s “Real Time” while mocking Macklemore’s place on Sheeran’s tour.
Maher said Sheeran was “old buddies with Macklemore from 15 years ago, back when Macklemore had his one hit,” then said the rapper used the opening slot to repeat “lies about how Gaza is a genocide.”
Maher also mocked Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) after saying she was asked whether she would change the radio if Sheeran came on and answered yes.
“You know, AOC? Way ahead of you,” Maher said. “I’ve always changed the channel when [Ed Sheeran comes on].”