Ed Sheeran Admits To “Making Mistakes” With Macklemore, Calls Out “Systemic Injustice” In Gaza: “I’m So, So Sorry”

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 of the situation after pressure from Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft and other venues to drop Macklemore over his pro-Palestine onstage remarks. Meanwhile, protesters gathered outside the Philly stop to call out Sheeran for dropping Macklemore, over which fellow tour openers Finneas, Aaron Rowe and Lukas Graham also exited the tour, along with Sheeran’s backing band Beoga. Watch on Deadline Read Sheeran’s full statement below: “Before I play some songs tonight, I hope it’s okay if I say a few words about this last week. 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 not surprised that other people don’t. 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. “I don’t want to disappoint fans, and I’ve never wanted to be an activist musician, but 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. “My concerts have always been a safe space for everyone, and that matters hugely to me. Honoring my commitment to my fans is also completely essential to who I am, and that is why I’m here tonight on my own and continuing my current tour. “But I am deeply worried about the idea that venues should pre-approve content of a performance. This happens in so many places that I perform around the world, but it should never happen in the free world. “Now, I want to address the question of where I stand on the situation in Israel and Palestine, and whether my doing this concert here tonight implies where I stand. I have tried in my career to not be a political commentator at any time, because I want my shows to be about unity, not division, and humanity, not politics. But this is a humanitarian issue, and I can’t hide how I feel about it anymore. “What happened in Israel at Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. Our hearts have been broken by the scale and devastation and loss of civilian’s lives, of children’s lives. And the systemic injustice we’re seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked. “I’m already speaking to people across the spectrum to work out how to make a contribution that helps victims of these terrible times, and listening and learning, because I do not know enough. “I honestly am so grateful that you are here tonight with me. This concert is still a place where everyone is welcome, and everyone here can stand beside people that have opposing views, and everyone here can stand by people they don’t agree with on everything. But they can all agree on singing these songs, and these songs are about love, hope and unity.