Ed Sheeran Addresses Gaza Onstage in Philadelphia as Four Tour Openers Walk Away

Ed Sheeran kicked off his Philadelphia show Saturday night by addressing the war in Gaza, calling the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks horrific while describing the situation in Gaza as“catastrophic and unjustifiable.”The speech capped a chaotic week for the Loop Tour, which saw Macklemore dropped as Sheeran’s U.S. opener after saying“Free Palestine”onstage in New Jersey on Sept. 5. Sheeran told the crowd the promoter made that decision, not him.

The fallout kept building. Supporting acts Beoga, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and Finneas all withdrew from tour dates this week in solidarity with Macklemore. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside Lincoln Financial Field before the show, arguing that Sheeran’s position wasn’t strong enough. Meanwhile, Sheeran and Robert Kraft have each reportedly agreed to donate $2 million, and Macklemore pledged $1 million to Palestinian relief efforts.

So the real question hanging over every remaining date on this tour is a big one: should a night out at a stadium come with a political point of view? Fans are split, some praising Sheeran for speaking up and others asking for refunds. Where do you land? Let us know in the comments.