Ed Sheeran broke down in tears as he addressed fans at his first concert since Macklemore’s removal from his Loop Tour, admitting he had made mistakes during a week of mounting criticism.

The 35-year-old singer returned to the stage at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Saturday, September 19, without his scheduled support acts, who had withdrawn following the rapper’s departure.

Before performing, Ed paused to speak about the controversy, freedom of expression and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. “I am making mistakes,” he told the crowd, adding: “And I’m so, so sorry.”

His emotional appearance followed days of conflicting accounts about Macklemore’s removal after the rapper called for a free Palestine during his performances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Ed Sheeran’s emotional apology in Philadelphia

Ed began by acknowledging that the evening would open differently from his usual shows. “Um, this is not usually how I would open the show, but before I play some songs tonight, I hope it’s OK if I say a few words about this last week,” he said.

The singer explained that, although criticism was familiar to him, the nature of the debate had been particularly difficult. “I’m used to my music being criticized, and I’m always happy to take that, because I’m lucky a lot of you like my stuff and, to be honest, I’m not surprised that other people don’t. That’s normal,” he continued. “But this week, the criticism was about something much more important.”

Ed said he had “never wanted to be an activist musician”, but had found himself at the centre of an argument about freedom of speech and the Israel-Palestine conflict.

He also explained why he had decided to continue performing.”My concerts have always been a safe space for everyone, and that matters hugely to me. Honoring my commitment to my fans is also completely essential to who I am,” he said.

“That is why I am here tonight, on my own, and continuing my current tour.”

The concert’s start time had been moved from 5.30pm to 8pm following the departure of the support acts. Protesters also gathered outside the venue ahead of the performance, as reported by Associated Press.

What Ed Sheeran said about Gaza and freedom of speech

During his speech, Ed expressed concern about venues and their owners having influence over what artists could say on stage.”This happens in so many places that I perform around the world, but it should never happen in the free world,” he said.

He explained that he had previously avoided becoming a political commentator because he wanted his performances to bring people together. “But this is a humanitarian issue, and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore,” he added.

Ed condemned the October 7 attack on Israel’s Nova music festival as “horrific”, while describing the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate”.

He also said events in the West Bank “cannot be overlooked”. The singer acknowledged that he was still listening and learning as he considered how he could best help people affected by the conflict.

Why Macklemore was removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour

Macklemore’s departure was announced on September 14 after his performances at MetLife Stadium, where he voiced support for Palestinians and performed his protest song Hind’s Hall.

“A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine,” he told the audience.

Tour promoter Messina Touring Group subsequently said venues had indicated they would not allow the rapper to perform at upcoming shows.

In a statement reported by Rolling Stone, the promoter said the situation threatened the continuation of the tour and would affect hundreds of thousands of fans.

“After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates,” the statement said.

Macklemore had been scheduled to appear at eight of the remaining 10 North American concerts. Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga subsequently withdrew their participation in solidarity with him.

Ed Sheeran and Macklemore’s differing accounts

Macklemore initially placed responsibility for his departure on Ed and his team, describing a painful disagreement between two artists who had known each other for 13 years.

“I consider him a brother,” he wrote on Instagram. “And because of that, we have had some difficult conversations this past week, the type of talks rooted in love and respect for one another that still end in a place of fundamental disagreement.”

The rapper also alleged that Ed had told him Robert Kraft would not allow him to perform at Gillette Stadium.

Kraft later confirmed that Macklemore was not welcome at the venue, citing objections to his performances and what he characterised as a history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery. Those were Kraft’s allegations about the rapper, as detailed by Rolling Stone.

Ed, however, maintained that the decision to remove Macklemore had been made by the promoter. “Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me,” he wrote in his own Instagram statement on Tuesday.

He said he had tried unsuccessfully to find a resolution through conversations with venue owners and others involved. “I would never let down the fans who had made plans, nor would I abandon the touring crew and the other support acts and musicians who rely on me for work and to make a living,” he added.

Ed Sheeran thanked fans for attending

Back on stage in Philadelphia, Ed became tearful as he thanked the audience for being there. His closing remarks returned to his hope that people with different beliefs could still share an evening of music. “I honestly am so grateful that you’re here tonight with me,” he said. “This concert is still a place where everyone is welcome and everyone here can stand beside people that have opposing views, and everyone here can stand by people they don’t agree with on everything, but they can all agree on singing these songs.”