Ed Sheeran used his first concert since Macklemore was removed from his tour to speak about Gaza and acknowledge that he has made mistakes, according to parismatch.com. The performance marked his return to the stage following the rapper's departure from the tour.
Sheeran told the audience he could no longer conceal what he was feeling, Midi Libre reported, and he apologized during the show, according to 20 Minutes. Le Monde described the concert as the first Sheeran had given since the removal of Macklemore, a rapper known for his pro-Palestinian stance. Télérama reported that Sheeran has now finished his tour and stepped away from political neutrality.
The reports frame the remarks as a shift for Sheeran, who had previously avoided taking a public position on the conflict. Several artists had distanced themselves from him before the concert, Midi Libre reported. The coverage does not specify what mistakes Sheeran was referring to, nor does it detail the circumstances of Macklemore's removal from the tour.
What remains unclear is whether Sheeran will continue to address the conflict publicly now that his tour has ended, and whether his remarks will draw further responses from other artists.