Ed Sheeran says situation in Gaza is “catastrophic and unjustifiable” at first concert since Macklemore was dropped from tour

Updated on: September 19, 2026 / 9:29 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Ed Sheeran opened his solo concert in Philadelphia on Saturday with comments about Gaza, saying what is happening there is "catastrophic and unjustifiable."

Sheeran said he wants his music and shows to be about unity and humanity, not politics. He then addressed the controversy that unfolded since his supporting acts withdrew in solidarity with opener Macklemore, who was dropped after making pro-Palestinian comments onstage.

"This is a humanitarian issue and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore," Sheeran told the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field. "What happened in Israel and at the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7th was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is a catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate."

He added: "My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilian lives, of children's lives. And the systemic injustice we're seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked."

Sheeran has performed much of his Loop Tour concerts solo, but he had been joined for several songs at each stop by the Irish folk band Beoga. Macklemore, Sheeran's original U.S. opener, had been replaced…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/