Ed Sheeran calls Gaza situation ‘unjustifiable’ after Palestine controversy

The British singer addresses fans at his concert in Philadelphia as his US Loop Tour resumes.

Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrate near Lincoln Financial Field ahead of Ed Sheeran's concert in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 19, 2026 [Matthew Hatcher/AFP]

British pop star Ed Sheeran has made his first comments on the controversy that plunged his North America Loop Tour into turmoil, saying that the situation in Gaza is “catastrophic”, “unjustifiable” and “disproportionate”.

Sheeran made the remarks as he opened his show at the Lincoln Financial Field stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where his tour resumed on Saturday night.

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The pop singer has faced a wave of criticism after his opening act, American rapper Macklemore, was dropped from the lineup over his pro-Palestine comments at a concert in New Jersey earlier this month.

Macklemore’s comments drew backlash from owners of stadiums hosting Sheeran’s future tour dates. Sheeran has denied being behind the decision, blaming the tour promoter.

Recording artist Macklemore, left, and Ed Sheeran [File: AP]

According to US media reports, the start time for the concert was pushed back two and a half hours because there were no opening acts and Sheeran performed solo.

All of Sheeran’s four supporting acts , including American singer Billie Eilish’s brother and musical collaborator, Finneas, walked out on Sheeran, issuing public statements citing their support for Palestinians.

Finneas and his sister have been outspoken about their support for Palestine before.

“Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” he said on Instagram last Tuesday, adding: “I stand with Palestine and its people.”

Pro-Palestinian protesters gather near Lincoln Financial Field, the venue of pop star Ed Sheeran’s concert, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 19, 2026 [Eduardo Munoz/Reuters]

A group of about 50 pro-Palestinian demonstrators rallied outside the stadium before the show on Saturday, waving Palestinian flags and chanting “Free, free Palestine.”

Hillary Steinberg, 34, of Philadelphia, said she got tickets a year ago but got a refund and attended the demonstration instead, disappointed that Sheeran did not take a stand.

“I was, until this week, a big Ed Sheeran fan,” Steinberg told the Associated Press news agency. “I think all art is political, and all music is political, and so this choice, even though he was saying that he wasn’t complicit, is a political choice.”

The controversy did not matter to concertgoers who spoke to the Reuters news agency on Saturday before Sheeran took to the stage.

Joy VanRuler, 55, of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, said she supports both Sheeran and Macklemore.

“It doesn’t need to be political,” VanRuler said. “It’s about the music, and we support both of them and it’s all good.”

英国歌手在费城演唱会上向歌迷致意，他的美国巡回演唱会也由此重启。

2026年9月19日，在宾夕法尼亚州费城，亲巴勒斯坦抗议者在林肯金融球场附近举行示威活动，当时艾德·希兰正在那里举行演唱会。[Matthew Hatcher/AFP]

英国流行歌星艾德·希兰首次就导致其北美巡回演唱会陷入混乱的争议发表评论，称加沙局势“灾难性”、“不公正”且“不成比例”。

希兰在宾夕法尼亚州费城林肯金融球场开场演出时发表了上述言论，他的巡回演唱会于周六晚在此恢复。

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列表 3/3：哪些艺人因巴勒斯坦问题退出了艾德·希兰的巡回演唱会？

这位流行歌手此前因美国说唱歌手 Macklemore 在本月初新泽西州的一场演唱会上发表支持巴勒斯坦的言论而被取消演出资格，并因此面临铺天盖地的批评。

Macklemore的言论引发了Ed Sheeran未来巡演举办场馆所有者的强烈反对。Sheeran否认自己是幕后推手，并将责任归咎于巡演主办方。

录音艺术家 Macklemore（左）和 Ed Sheeran [图片：美联社]

据美国媒体报道，由于没有暖场嘉宾，希兰独自一人表演，演唱会的开始时间推迟了两个半小时。

希兰的四位伴奏艺人，包括美国歌手比莉·艾利什的哥哥兼音乐合作伙伴菲尼亚斯，全部退出了希兰的演出，并发表公开声明，表示他们支持巴勒斯坦人。

菲尼亚斯和他的妹妹此前就曾公开表示支持巴勒斯坦。

“当艺术家为受压迫者发声时，不应让他们噤声，”他上周二在 Instagram 上说道，并补充道：“我与巴勒斯坦及其人民站在一起。”

2026年9月19日，在宾夕法尼亚州费城，亲巴勒斯坦抗议者聚集在林肯金融球场附近，这里是流行歌星艾德·希兰演唱会的举办地。[Eduardo Munoz/路透社]

周六演出开始前，约 50 名亲巴勒斯坦示威者聚集在体育场外，挥舞着巴勒斯坦国旗，高喊“自由，自由的巴勒斯坦”。

来自费城的 34 岁女子希拉里·斯坦伯格表示，她一年前买了票，但后来退款了，于是她参加了示威活动，因为她对希兰没有表明立场感到失望。

“直到本周，我一直是艾德·希兰的铁杆粉丝，”斯坦伯格告诉美联社。“我认为所有艺术都具有政治性，所有音乐也都具有政治性，所以即使他声称自己并非同谋，他的这个选择仍然是一种政治选择。”

周六，在希兰登台演出前，一些接受路透社采访的音乐会观众表示，这场争议对他们来说无关紧要。

来自宾夕法尼亚州波茨敦的 55 岁居民 Joy VanRuler 表示，她支持 Sheeran 和 Macklemore。

“这不需要扯上政治，”范鲁勒说。“关键在于音乐，我们支持他们俩，一切都很好。”