An emotional Ed Sheeran struggled to hold back tears onstage as he apologized to fans and addressed the backlash surrounding Macklemore’s removal from his Loop Tour.
The rapper was removed from the remaining tour dates following his onstage remarks in support of Palestinians. Several supporting acts, including Finneas, Danish band Lukas Graham, and Irish folk band Beoga, also withdrew from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
On Saturday, Sheeran acknowledged making mistakes as he navigated the fallout, in a video shared on social media.
“I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I’m so, so sorry,” the singer told concertgoers. “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.”
Ed Sheeran Unsure About the Future of His Loop Tour
The controversy also prompted Sheeran to scrap a smaller secondary platform closer to the crowd because he “was scared of what might happen if [he] stood in the middle.”
“I’m gonna be totally honest with you, I didn’t know what this audience would be like tonight,” the singer admitted. “I didn’t know if I would have things thrown at me. I didn’t know if people would be angry at me.”
Sheeran went on to reveal that he “didn’t know if this tour would be carrying on.”
“I really didn’t know whether I’d be even getting on stage again, whether I even wanted to be an artist at all,” Sheeran continued. “In these situations, you really find out who your friends are.”
Ed Sheeran Vows to Help Victims Affected by the Conflict
Sheeran revealed that people closest to him had urged him to cancel the tour amid the controversy.
“In the back of my mind, I saw the ticket sales and I didn’t see the cancellations. I saw people buying tickets for this gig,” he continued. “And everyone’s telling me to cancel and I’m feeling all of my friends and family and people I know abandon me and I look at the end of the week and I see 50,000 people who haven’t abandoned me.”
Meanwhile, Macklemore previously announced that he would donate $1 million toward Palestinian relief efforts and challenged New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to match the contribution.
A statement from Kraft confirmed that he and Sheeran had agreed to donate $2 million each, although they have not disclosed where the funds will be directed.
During his recent concert, Sheeran revealed that he is already speaking with people across the spectrum to determine how he can best help those affected by the conflict.
“I am already speaking to people across the spectrum to work out how to make a contribution that helps victims of these terrible times,” he told the crowd.
Is Entertainment Now a propaganda arm of Israel too? No amount of Ed Sheeran’s tears is going bring back the 1 million Palestinian lives slaughtered by the US and Israeli military. Your coverage is abhorrent.
It’s up to 1 million now? You are a moron.
Thank you for saying what I was thinking. Though you’re much kinder than I would have been in calling that PoS a moron.
And another nazi Jew-hater, terrorist supporter (David Hunter) outs himself. You are abhorrent. It’s to be hoped that your employer (if in fact you hold a job) sees this.
What a shame that anyone feels the need to apologize for not associating with monstrous racist trash who support terrorists attacking and slaughtering civilians and their children during a music festival. Islam is a cancer which must be excised and eradicated.
100% correct! If you compare Israels population to America, it would have been like over 40,000 people killed on 9/11. Hamas stated it, Israel will finish it.
amazing the lack of self awareness or the lack of understanding how this all started. They comment like Israel literally started this war or just started killing people. It’s so crazy. Indoctrination in the colleges is where it all starts.
Thank you for having the moral character to speak the truth. Your every word is correct, especially the last sentence.
The apologists for Israel’s inhumane war against innocent Palestinians is sickening
Greg/BLM
You are 100% correct!
It’s sad that there are so many terrorist government of Israel apologists. Why can’t you all condemn BOTH terrorist groups, HAMAS AND the Israeli government?!?!
*And please STOP pushing the narrative that EVERYTHING started on 10/07/23, and ignore the over 75+ years of Israeli government and military terrorism.