Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 08:12am on 20 Sep 2026,Sunday International
Ed Sheeran apologised to fans for making "mistakes" as he opened his first concert since Macklemore was removed from his Loop Tour over pro-Palestinian remarks on stage. Speaking in Philadelphia, Sheeran said he never wanted to be an activist musician but could no longer hide his feelings. He called the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks "horrific" and described the situation in Gaza as "unjustifiable". He has said his promoters, not he, decided to drop Macklemore. The row has led all his support acts to quit, and some ticket prices have fallen to $32. Protesters gathered outside, but the show went ahead largely undisturbed. (PC: BBC)
