Ed Sheeran Weeps Onstage, Admits to ‘Making Mistakes’ in First Concert Since Macklemore Exit: ‘I’m So Sorry’

Ed Sheeran opened his concert in Philadelphia on Saturday by reading a scripted apology off of a teleprompter to his fans for "making mistakes" after his tour was thrust into controversy earlier this week and saying the situation in Gaza is "catastrophic and unjustifiable."

via: EW

After a week embroiled in controversy, Ed Sheeran wept onstage while appearing before fans for the first time since Macklemore was removed as his opening act.

On Saturday, Sept. 19, the “Shape of You” singer kicked off a show at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field with a statement about the ongoing turmoil surrounding the North American leg of his Loop tour.

“This is not usually how I open a show, but before I play some songs tonight I hope it’s OK if I say a few words about this last week,” Sheeran began. “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… 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 sorry.”

Sheeran explained that while he does not want to “disappoint fans,” he also has no aspirations to be “an activist musician.” He continued, “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 has been under scrutiny since Macklemore was removed as an opening act for the remainder of his Loop tour, at the request of venue owners who took issue with the “Thrift Shop” rapper sharing pro-Palestine statements onstage during their Sept. 5 tour date. In the wake of Macklemore’s firing, all of Sheeran’s supporting acts — including Aaron Rowe and Lukas Graham; his backing band Beoga; and South America opener Finneas O’Connell — exited the tour. The Philly concert, originally scheduled to kick off at 5:30 p.m. ET, was pushed to 8 p.m. as Sheeran performed without any openers.

“Honoring my commitment to my fans is completely central to who I am, and that is why I’m here tonight on my own and continuing my current tour,” Sheeran told fans in Philly. “But I am deeply worried about the idea of venues pre-approving content of performers. This happens in so many places I perform around the world, but it should never happen in the free world.”

As Sheeran stood onstage, protestors gathered outside the venue, chanting, per TMZ, “F--- your concert, f--- your fans, Palestine is our demand.”

Inside, the “Thinking Out Loud” singer addressed his stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict while appearing — per fan-recorded footage — to read a statement from a teleprompter.

“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. But this is a humanitarian issue and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore,” Sheeran said. “What happened in Israel at a… music festival on Oct. 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate.”

He continued, “My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, of children’s lives, and the systemic justice we’re seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked.”

Sheeran said that he is currently speaking to “people across the spectrum” about how to contribute funds that will aid “victims of these terrible times.”

He concluded his opening speech by sharing that “everyone is welcome” at his concerts, noting, “everyone here can stand by people that they don’t agree with on everything, but they can all agree I’m singing these songs.”

Later, while concluding his performance, Sheeran became emotional when thanking fans for their support and explaining why, despite prompting from those in his inner circle, he opted not to cancel the tour.

“The last week of my life has been one of the worst weeks of my life. Today has been one of the weirdest days of my life. Tonight has been honestly the best show of my life, the best show,” he said. “I really didn’t know whether this tour would be carrying on. I really didn’t know whether I’d even be getting on stage again, whether I even wanted to be an artist at all. In these situations, you really find out who your friends are, and it’s been a weird week.”

He added, “Everyone’s telling me to cancel, and I’m feeling all of my friends and family and people I know abandon me. And I look at the end of the week, and I see 50,000 people who haven’t abandoned me. People will say what they want, but I am doing this for you. I love you.”

Sheeran was met with applause as he continued and at one point appeared overwhelmed, pausing to put his face in one hand and wipe away tears as the crowd cheered him on.

“The world is a scary place right now. America is a scary place right now. This gives hope,” he concluded. “I hope you all have had fun.”

The controversy began after a Sept. 5 tour stop at MetLife Stadium, where Macklemore shared a message that was critical of Israel and called for a “Free Palestine.” He told the crowd, “To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters, criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, it in no way is criticism of you. This message is for peace, love, for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality.”

Since being dropped from the tour, Macklemore has repeatedly shared his belief that the controversy is worthwhile if it can shine a spotlight on the Palestinian liberation movement.

“I didn’t need 10 shows from Ed. I needed 2,” he wrote in his initial statement on the firing. “Two chances to stand in front of 90,000 people and say the words that somehow became too dangerous to say. Free Palestine. But if those words cost me the stage, while turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I’ve ever been on.”

Macklemore has pledged to donate the $1 million he earned from touring with Sheeran to support the people of Palestine. Sheeran and Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, answered this by pledging to commit $2 million each to “aid in the region.”