Ed Sheeran Breaks Down in Tears Calling Israel's Actions in Gaza 'Unjustifiable' in First Speech Since Macklemore Was Dropped From Tour
Ed Sheeran broke down in tears while addressing the Gaza war.
Sept. 20 2026, Published 1:40 p.m. ET
Ed Sheeran became emotional during his first concert since Macklemore was removed from his tour, addressing the controversy before speaking about the war in Gaza, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The singer, 35, told the Philadelphia crowd that the past week had been one of the most difficult periods of his career as he defended his decision to continue performing.
Ed Sheeran Speaks Out on Gaza
Ed Sheeran addressed the controversy before performing at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on September 19.
Sheeran opened Saturday night's show at Lincoln Financial Field by addressing the situation before beginning his set.
"I've never wanted to be an activist musician, but this put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet," Sheeran told the crowd.
"I've tried in my career not to be a political commentator of any kind, because I want my music and shows to be about unity, not division, about humanity, not politics," he said.
"But this is a humanitarian issue. I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore. What happened in Israel, and at the music festival on October 7th, was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain," Sheeran continued, crying on stage.
"What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilian life and loss of children's lives. And the systemic injustice we're seeing unfolding the West Bank cannot be overlooked," he added.
Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran's tour after his outspoken comments about Israel and the war in Gaza.
Ed Sheeran Addresses Macklemore Fallout
Ed Sheeran continued his Loop Tour after Macklemore and other musicians stepped away.
The remarks came after Macklemore was dropped from the Loop Tour following his pro-Palestinian comments during a performance.
The decision was followed by the departure of Sheeran's other opening acts and backing musicians, leaving the singer to continue the tour with a new group of performers.
Sheeran acknowledged the criticism surrounding the decision, saying, "I'm used to my music being criticized, and I'm always happy to take that because I'm lucky. A lot of you like my stuff, and to be honest, I'm surprised. I'm not surprised that I've even done it. You know, it's normal."
"But this week the criticism was about something much more important, and I've had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I'm so, so sorry," the songwriter continued.
Singer Feared Returning to the Stage
Ed Sheeran admitted he was unsure how fans would react when he returned to the stage.
Sheeran admitted he was uncertain about how the Philadelphia audience would respond.
"I usually go out to a B stage, and I'm going to be totally honest with you, I didn't know what this audience would be like tonight," he said. "I didn't know if I would have things thrown at me."
He confirmed he planned to continue performing, explaining, "Honoring my commitment to my fans is also completely central to who I am. And that is why I’m here tonight, on my own."
Sheeran also criticized the prospect of venues controlling performers' material.
"I am deeply worried about the idea that venues should pre-approved content of performance," he said, adding, "This happens in so many places that I perform around the world, but it should never happen in the free world."
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Ed Sheeran Gets Emotional Again
Ed Sheeran became emotional again while discussing friends and others who he said had distanced themselves from him.
As the concert continued, Sheeran became emotional while discussing the people who had walked away from him during the controversy.
"I have so many people telling me to cancel this tour and so many people falling out of my life that I've known for years and years and years, people just kind of backing away... And then, you know, I'm there, and everyone's telling me to cancel, and I'm feeling my friends and family, and people I know, abandoned me," Sheeran shared.
He said one thought kept him moving forward: "If this tour ends, love doesn't win."
