Coverage dated September 19, 2026 to September 20, 2026
Ed Sheeran says situation in Gaza is 'catastrophic and unjustifiable' as he opens concert
Headline from Phl17
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ed Sheeran opened a concert Saturday with comments about Gaza after controversy swirled around his tour and supporting acts withdrew in solidarity with opener Macklemore, who was dropped after making pro-Palestinian comments onstage.
Phl17's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.
Ed Sheeran fans trickled into Lincoln Financial on Saturday evening as protesters gathered outside the stadium to denounce Macklemore’s removal from Sheeran’s “Loop” tour over his pro-Palestinian advocacy.
Pop star Ed Sheeran said Saturday the situation in Gaza is "unjustifiable," following a wave of criticism that he had failed to back his opening act who was booted from their tour after making pro-Palestinian comments.
“I don’t want to disappoint fans, and 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 said.
"My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians' lives, of children's lives," Sheeran said in the night at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Saturday concert, which featured a protest rally outside of Lincoln Financial Field, was the first concert Sheeran played following Macklemore’s removal as an opener for Pro-Palestinian comments.
The pop star has faced boycott calls after rapper Macklemore was removed from his tour after shouting ‘Free Palestine’ at a concert this month Ed Sheeran has opened a solo concert in Philadelphia with comments about Gaza, saying what’s happening is “catastrophic and unjustifiable”, in his first show…
“This has 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 said
As Ed Sheeran returns to the stage amid the fallout from dropping Macklemore as his tour opener, he’s addressing the controversy head-on. On Saturday, while beginning his Loop Tour stop at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, the 4x Grammy winner apologized for “making mistakes” in his handling o…
PHILADELPHIA — Ed Sheeran opened a solo concert in Philadelphia on Saturday with comments about Gaza, saying what’s happening is “catastrophic and unjustifiable.”
Ed Sheeran opened his solo concert in Philadelphia on Saturday with comments about Gaza, saying what is happening there is "catastrophic and unjustifiable."
PHILADELPHIA - Pop star Ed Sheeran apologized on Saturday for his handling of a controversy that erupted this week when rapper Macklemore was removed as an opening act over comments on the occupied Palestinian territories.
Singer Ed Sheeran opened a solo concert in Philadelphia on Saturday by addressing the recent fallout over the removal of his tour’s opening act, Macklemore, due to the rapper’s pro-Palestinian comments.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ed Sheeran opened a concert Saturday with comments about Gaza after controversy swirled around his tour and supporting acts withdrew in solidarity with opener Macklemore, who was dropped after making pro-Palestinian comments onstage.
Sheeran called the Hamas-led attack in Israel "horrific" and described the war in Gaza as "catastrophic and unjustifiable" during his first concert since the Macklemore controversy erupted.
English singer Ed Sheeran opened his first show since his opener Macklemore was dropped after making pro-Palestinian comments onstage. The move sparked controversy and prompted several other support acts to drop out of the tour, publishing statements citing their support for Palestinians.
PHILADELPHIA -- Ed Sheeran opened a concert Saturday with comments about Gaza after controversy swirled around his tour and supporting acts withdrew in solidarity with opener Macklemore, who was dropped after making pro-Palestinian comments onstage.
Singer Ed Sheeran opened a solo concert in Philadelphia on Saturday by addressing the recent fallout over the removal of his tour’s opening act, Macklemore, due to the rapper’s pro-Palestinian comments.
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