addressed his recent tour controversies at a show in Philadelphia overnight (September 19th).

The UK artist launched his North American tour a few weeks ago, but the trip quickly descended into chaos. Support act incurred he wrath of stadium owner Robert Kraft due to his pro-Palestinian leanings, and the rapper was forced off the tour.

Ed Sheeran’s initial statement was widely criticised, with fellow support acts , , and , alongside the UK songwriter’s backing band .

Opting to continue, Ed Sheeran completed a sold out show in Philadelphia, and discussed his troubled week with the crowd during an emotional monologue.

“I never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about free speech and the most complex political issue on the planet,” he told the stadium crowd.

The singer called the October 7 Hamas-led attacks “horrific” and before also describing the situation in Gaza “unjustifiable”.

Speaking from the stage, he said: “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”.

Ed Sheeran said he wanted to “address the question of where I stand in the situation in Israel and Palestine, and whether my doing this concert here tonight implies where I stand”. 

“I have tried in my career not to be a political commentator of any kind, because I want my music and shows to be about unity, not division”, he continued. “But this is a humanitarian issue, and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.”

The October 7 attacks were “horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain”, he said, and what was happening in Gaza was “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate”. 

“My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilian lives, of children’s lives, and this systemic injustice we’re seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked.”

Ed Sheeran intends to spend time “listening and learning, because I do not know enough”, but insisted that his tour was “still a place where everyone is welcome, and everyone here can stand beside people that have opposing views”.

The remaining tour dates are set to continue as planned.