Ed Sheeran took the stage in Philadelphia on Saturday night with no opening act and no warm-up banter. Instead, he opened his solo set with comments about Gaza, calling the October 7, 2023 attacks horrific and the situation in Gaza catastrophic and unjustifiable, while making clear his shows are meant to be about unity and humanity rather than politics. It was his first time addressing the controversy directly in front of a full arena.
The drama started earlier this month when Macklemore, Sheeran’s original U.S. opener, was dropped after saying“Free Palestine”at a September 5 show. Supporting acts Beoga, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Finneas all withdrew from the tour in solidarity, leaving Sheeran to perform without an opener. Onstage, Sheeran said he never wanted to be an activist musician and that the situation put him in the middle of a passionate debate about free speech. He also said the tour promoter was ultimately responsible for the decision.
There’s a big money side to this too. Macklemore is donating $1 million to Palestinian relief, and both Kraft and Sheeran have pledged $2 million each. Fan reaction remains deeply split, with some applauding Sheeran for speaking up and others wishing the stage stayed politics-free. Where do you land on this one?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.