Pop star Ed Sheeran apologised on Saturday for his handling of a controversy that erupted this week when ‌rapper Macklemore was removed as an opening act over comments on the occupied Palestinian territories.

Breaking his silence on the issue, the British singer decried Israel’s treatment of residents in Gaza as “unjustifiable.”

“I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions and I am making mistakes and I’m so, so sorry,” Sheeran told ​an audience in Philadelphia, where he performed for the first time since Macklemore was taken off the concert tour.

At ​the start of the concert at Lincoln Financial Field, Sheeran called the October 2023 Hamas attack ⁠that killed 1,200 Israelis “horrific.” But he called Israel’s subsequent war, which has killed thousands in Gaza and displaced almost all of the ​population, “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate.”

Sheeran also decried “systemic injustice” in the West Bank, where Israel’s right-wing coalition government has allowed a massive expansion ​of Jewish settlements.

“My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, children’s lives,” he said, adding that “systemic injustice” in the West Bank could not be ignored.

Sheeran also apologised for recent decisions. “This week, the criticism was about something much more important and I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I’m so, so sorry.”

The pop star’s opening statement offered a stark change from his statements earlier in the week, when Sheeran posted on Instagram that his concert audiences “do not expect a political forum.”

“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,” he told the crowd in the city of Philadelphia.

Controversy has surrounded Sheeran since Macklemore posted on Instagram that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft had told ​Sheeran that Macklemore would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where Sheeran has shows on September ​25 and 26.

Macklemore said Kraft and other stadium owners had told Sheeran he would not be allowed to perform in their venues if Macklemore ‌remained ⁠on the tour after saying “Free Palestine” during a September 4 concert at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The tour’s other supporting acts subsequently quit to show solidarity with Macklemore.

Despite acceding to stadium owners’ demand for Macklemore’s removal, Sheeran on Saturday said he was “deeply worried” about concert venues vetting performers’ content. “This happens in so many places that I perform around the world, but it should never ​happen in the free world,” ​Sheeran said.

Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrate near the venue of pop star Ed Sheeran’s concert after rapper Macklemore was cut from the musical lineup over his “free Palestine” remarks on stage criticizing Israeli government actions in Gaza and the West Bank, near Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, September, 19, 2026. PHOTO: Reuters

Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered about half a mile from the ​concert venue ahead of Sheeran’s performance. Organizers said they were there to talk to people about the conditions on the ground in Gaza and to highlight local ​groups advocating for Palestinians.

Billboard also reported that Sheeran removed the B stage from his concert, regarding safety concerns.

“To be honest, I didn’t know what the audience would be like tonight. I didn’t know if things would have been thrown at me. I didn’t know if people would be angry with me. Today, is not the usual Loop show because I was afraid of what would happen if I stood in the middle,” said Sheeran mid-concert.

Later during the show, Variety also reported that Sheeran introduced violinist Alicia Enstrom alongside temporary backing musicians Mike, CJ, Eric, and Clay to replace Beoga, the traditional Irish folk group that pulled out of his remaining US tour dates.

“There are certain songs that just don’t work on the loop pedal, so when my friends dropped out of the show, I was thinking, ‘How am I gonna keep the show the same, and how am I gonna get musicians to stand on stage with me in a week when no one wants to stand on stage with me?” Sheeran said.

He added, “I just wanna say before they come on stage [that] they said yes to being on stage with the knowledge that the world thought I was a certain type of person. They said yes with the knowledge that the world may hate them too for standing on stage with me and I am so grateful for them being on stage tonight and standing on stage with me in front of you guys.”

Palestinians walk near a mural painted in honour of American rapper Macklemore, amid buildings destroyed during the war, in Gaza City, September 18, 2026. PHOTO: Reuters

The Philadelphia Police Department said it was monitoring the event and making “any necessary adjustments based on public safety needs.”

Sheeran told the crowd that “everyone is welcome” at his concerts and that people with opposing views can still come together through music. “My concerts have always been a safe space for everyone, and that matters hugely to me,” he said.