Emotional Ed Sheeran Returns to Stage in Philly

Singer Ed Sheeran apologized Saturday night as he hit the stage in Philadelphia after facing criticism due to Macklemore being dropped from his tour.

"I’m not surprised that this week’s criticism was about something much more important," an emotional Sheeran said upon opening his show at Lincoln Financial Field. "I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes. I’m so, so sorry. I don’t want to disappoint fans."

"Now, I want to address the question of where I stand in the situation in Israel and Palestine and whether this concert here tonight implies where I stand,” he continued. “I’ve 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, about humanity not politics.”

"But this is a humanitarian issue and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore. What happened in Israel at a … music festival on Oct. 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate.

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

He added, "I am already speaking to people across the spectrum to work out how to make a contribution that helps victims of these terrible times, and listening and learning because I do not know enough."

Sheeran admitted during the show he wasn't so sure how the audience would react to his performance.

"I didn't know if I would have things thrown at me," he said. "Today is not the usual Loop show. I took the B stage out because I was afraid what might happen if I stood in the middle, and I will admit that. So the show's a little bit different."

"When my friends dropped out of this show, I was thinking, how am I going to keep the show the same, and how am I going to get musicians to stand on stage with me in a week where no one wants to stand on stage with me," he said before bringing out his touring violinist, Alicia Enstrom.

He said he decided to continue the tour because "music is everything and brings people together."

Pro-Palestinian protesters waved Palestinian flags and chanted "Free Palestine."