AI-written summary synthesised from 6 independent reports, listed below. No human editor reviewed this. AI can misread or omit facts — read the originals.
ABSTRACT

British singer Ed Sheeran performed at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Saturday, his first concert since rapper Macklemore was removed as an opening act on Sheeran's US Loop Tour after saying "Free Palestine" on stage. Opening the show without a support act because other performers had also withdrawn, Sheeran apologised for what he described as mistakes in handling the dispute, called the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel "horrific", and described Israel's subsequent war in Gaza as "catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate", according to Deutsche Welle, Euronews, The Jerusalem Post, The Times of India and the New York Post. Dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside the venue before the performance, according to Deutsche Welle, Euronews and The Jerusalem Post.

New York Post

Ed Sheeran apologises at Philadelphia show over Macklemore tour removal and addresses Gaza war

Sep 19, 2026, 9:59 PM

British singer Ed Sheeran performed at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Saturday, his first concert since rapper Macklemore was removed as an opening act on Sheeran's US Loop Tour after saying "Free Palestine" on stage. Opening the show without a support act because other performers had also withdrawn, Sheeran apologised for what he described as mistakes in handling the dispute, called the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel "horrific", and described Israel's subsequent war in Gaza as "catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate", according to Deutsche Welle, Euronews, The Jerusalem Post, The Times of India and the New York Post. Dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside the venue before the performance, according to Deutsche Welle, Euronews and The Jerusalem Post.

Context

The dispute began on stage. The Jerusalem Post reported that Macklemore said "Free Palestine" during a September 4 concert at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey; Euronews dated the remark to a September 5 tour stop in New Jersey; Deutsche Welle placed it at the opening of the US Loop Tour in New Jersey in early September. The New York Post reported that Macklemore was dropped from the tour on September 14. Macklemore posted on Instagram that Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and of Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, had told Sheeran that Macklemore would not be allowed to perform at that venue, where Sheeran had shows scheduled on September 25 and 26, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Accounts of who made the decision differ. Deutsche Welle reported that Sheeran denied being responsible and said venues had threatened to cancel shows if Macklemore remained on the tour. According to The Times of India, Sheeran had previously said the removal was a decision made by the tour's promoters. The Jerusalem Post reported that Sheeran had "acceded to stadium owners' demand" for Macklemore's removal.

Supporting acts then withdrew. Deutsche Welle named musician Finneas, Danish band Lukas Graham and Irish singer Aaron Rowe, as well as Sheeran's backing band. Euronews reported that Irish folk band Beoga, which had joined Sheeran for several songs at each stop, also dropped out, and that Finneas had been due to tour with Sheeran in South America later this year before withdrawing. According to the New York Post, Sheeran was left with no openers and the Philadelphia show's start time was pushed back from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Speaking at the start of the concert, Sheeran said he had "never wanted to be an activist musician" but had found himself "in the middle of an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet", according to Deutsche Welle. He said he had "had to take and make difficult decisions" and added: "I am making mistakes, and I'm so, so sorry." He told the audience his concerts had always been a safe space and that people with opposing views could stand beside one another, according to the New York Post and The Times of India. He also said he was "deeply worried" about venues vetting performers' content, saying: "This happens in so many places that I perform around the world, but it should never happen in the free world."

Deutsche Welle and The Jerusalem Post both reported that earlier in the week Sheeran said on Instagram that his concert audiences "do not expect a political forum". The New York Post described Saturday's statement as a stark change from that position.

Deutsche Welle reported that dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters rallied peacefully outside the stadium, waving Palestinian flags and chanting "Free, free Palestine". The Jerusalem Post reported that demonstrators gathered about half a mile from the venue and that organisers said they were there to discuss conditions in Gaza and highlight local groups advocating for Palestinians. Euronews described a small group of demonstrators outside the stadium before the show.

Concertgoers gave differing views. Euronews reported that Hillary Steinberg, 34, said she had bought tickets a year earlier, obtained a refund and attended the demonstration instead, saying she was disappointed Sheeran had not defended Macklemore or empathised with Palestinians. Euronews also reported that Diane Savitz, 53, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, attended and said she did not think Sheeran did anything wrong and that a concert is not the place for politics. The Jerusalem Post reported that Joy VanRuler, 55, a teacher from Pottstown, Pennsylvania, said she supports both artists and that the matter need not be political, and that Javier Hernandez, 62, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, said Macklemore "shouldn't have talked about politics" and should have left it alone.

The Times of India reported that Aaron Rowe, one of the performers who withdrew, spoke in support of Sheeran but said attention had been directed at the wrong person and argued that Robert Kraft should face greater scrutiny, while acknowledging that Sheeran's response could have been stronger. Deutsche Welle reported that the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) has called for a boycott of Sheeran's world tour.

The Times of India reported mixed reactions on social media, including users who said the concert was packed and that "cancel culture didn't work", a user who said it would have been more respectable had Sheeran not read from a teleprompter, a user who said he "lost a lot of support basically for nothing", a user who said his use of the words "conflict" and "both sides" indicated where he stands, a user who said he should not have addressed the conflict at all, and a user who said they were tired of celebrities discussing international conflicts. The New York Post reported that the comedy programme "SNL UK" devoted a "Weekend Update" segment to the controversy, in which comedian Ania Magliano joked about Sheeran's fanbase and Paddy Young referred to Kraft; the New York Post reported that the sketch referenced Kraft's 2019 prostitution solicitation charges and his appointment of a lawyer who had represented Jeffrey Epstein.

All Perspectives
Ed Sheeran: Sheeran said at the Philadelphia show that he had never wanted to be an activist musician but had found himself in the middle of a debate about freedom of speech and what he called the most complex political issue on the planet. He said he had had to make difficult decisions and that he was "making mistakes", and apologised to the audience. He described the October 7, 2023 attack as horrific and as compounding centuries of Jewish pain, called what is happening in Gaza catastrophic, unjustifiable and disproportionate, and said systemic injustice in the West Bank could not be overlooked. He said he was deeply worried about venues having a say over what performers do on stage, and that his concerts remained a place where everyone was welcome, including people with opposing views.
Macklemore: Macklemore said on stage that a big part of the reason he wanted to do the tour was to be able to stand in stadiums and say "Free Palestine", adding that he wanted those words to be loud and clear so that people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank would know they had not been forgotten; he also performed a 2024 protest song, "Hind's Hall", according to the New York Post. He posted on Instagram that Robert Kraft had told Sheeran that Macklemore would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium, and said that Kraft and other stadium owners had told Sheeran he would not be allowed to perform in their venues if Macklemore remained on the tour, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators: Brandon Ateke, 18, told AFP, according to Deutsche Welle, that he decided not to attend the concert and instead joined the protest to highlight what he called the genocide going on in Gaza, and accused Sheeran of complicity with Kraft and others in silencing Macklemore. Hillary Steinberg, 34, told Euronews that she had been a big Ed Sheeran fan until that week but got a refund and attended the demonstration instead, arguing that all art and music is political and that Sheeran's choice, even though he said he was not complicit, was itself a political choice.
Concertgoers who said politics did not belong at the show: Diane Savitz, 53, told Euronews she is a big Sheeran fan, does not think he did anything wrong and believes a concert is not the place for politics, adding that everyone has a right to freedom of speech but not every platform is the place for it. Joy VanRuler, 55, told Reuters, according to The Jerusalem Post, that she supports both artists, that it does not need to be political and that it is about the music. Javier Hernandez, 62, told Reuters, according to The Jerusalem Post, that Macklemore should not have talked about politics because it gives people an opportunity to make a mess of the situation, and that he should have left it alone.
Aaron Rowe, singer who withdrew from the tour: The Times of India reported that Rowe spoke in support of Sheeran during the continuing controversy but said the attention had been directed toward the wrong person, arguing that billionaire businessman Robert Kraft should receive greater scrutiny in the debate, while acknowledging in an Instagram video that Sheeran's response could have been stronger.
Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI): Deutsche Welle reported that the pro-Palestinian group has called for a boycott of Sheeran's world tour.
Social media users: The Times of India reported divided online opinion. One user wrote that the concert was packed and that "cancel culture didn't work"; another said it would have been respectable had Sheeran not read from a teleprompter; another said he "lost a lot of support basically for nothing"; another said his use of the words "conflict" and "both sides" showed where he stands; one said he did not do anything wrong and should not have addressed the Israel-Gaza conflict in the speech at all; and another expressed frustration with celebrities discussing international conflicts.
Position not represented in the source reporting: Robert Kraft (owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium), who is central to the dispute over Macklemore's removal but whose position, rationale or response is absent from all supplied sources; Ed Sheeran's tour promoters, identified in one source as having made the removal decision, who did not comment in any source.

Where sources differ

  • The date and location of Macklemore's "Free Palestine" remark differ: The Jerusalem Post places it at a September 4 concert at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey; Euronews dates it to a September 5 tour stop in New Jersey; Deutsche Welle says it was at the opening of the US Loop Tour in New Jersey in early September.
  • Casualty figures differ: Deutsche Welle says the war in Gaza has killed more than 70,000 people and that the October 7, 2023 attack killed around 1,200 people; The Jerusalem Post says the war has killed "thousands" in Gaza and that the October 7 attack killed 1,200 Israelis.
  • Responsibility for Macklemore's removal is described differently: Deutsche Welle reports Sheeran denied responsibility and said venues threatened to cancel shows if Macklemore stayed; The Times of India reports Sheeran said the removal was a decision by the tour's promoters; The Jerusalem Post reports Sheeran "acceded to stadium owners' demand" for the removal.
  • Lists of the support acts that withdrew differ: Deutsche Welle names Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Sheeran's backing band; Euronews names Beoga, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Finneas.
  • The scale of the protest is described differently: The Jerusalem Post and Deutsche Welle say dozens gathered, while Euronews describes a "small group"; The Jerusalem Post places the demonstrators about half a mile from the venue.
Gaps & Unknowns
  • No statement or response from Robert Kraft, the Kraft Group, the New England Patriots or Gillette Stadium appears in any of the supplied sources, even though Macklemore's claim that Kraft barred him from the venue and Sheeran's statement that venues threatened to cancel shows both concern them directly.
  • None of the sources identifies the tour promoters that Sheeran reportedly said made the removal decision, or provides any comment from them.
  • No source establishes whether the remainder of the Loop Tour, including the scheduled Gillette Stadium dates on September 25 and 26, will proceed; only the New York Post reports Sheeran saying he was continuing his current tour, and it is not corroborated elsewhere.
  • No source provides casualty or displacement figures that are consistent across outlets, and none cites a source for the Gaza figures given.
  • No source establishes the number of concertgoers or of demonstrators at the Philadelphia show.
  • No source reports any response from Israeli or Palestinian officials, or from Sheeran's record label or management.
  • The material about Robert Kraft's past referenced in the "SNL UK" sketch is reported only by the New York Post as content of a comedy segment and is not verified or independently reported in any source.
  • No source reports whether Macklemore was asked for further comment or sets out his current touring plans after his removal.
Sources & Further Reading
  1. New York Post — original — by Kalohe Danbara
  2. Deutsche Welle — by Shakeel Sobhan
  3. Euronews — by Malek Fouda
  4. The Times of India — by TOI ENTERTAINMENT DESK
  5. The Jerusalem Post — by REUTERS
  6. New York Post — by Carson Blackwelder, Amanda Rubio

Read the original at New York Post

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