Ed Sheeran is speaking out after Macklemore said he was removed from the British superstar’s tour for making political comments on stage.
in social media posts Sheeran said Tuesday that it was the promoter’s decision to remove Macklemore from the tour, not his. Sheeran said he personally chooses not to use his platform to discuss politics.
Macklemore It was announced on Monday that Sheeran had been removed from the tour after making pro-Palestinian comments on stage at MetLife Stadium earlier this month. The rapper also posted to social media.
Other support acts, including Aaron Lowe, Finneas, Beoga and Lucas Graham, announced they were withdrawing from the tour on Tuesday following the controversy.
What did Ed Sheeran say to Macklemore?
sheeran Reacting to Macklemore’s post on Tuesday, he said in a social media post that he was “appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine,” adding that after a show in New Jersey, future venues “reached out that they would be canceling the show” if Macklemore remained as a support act.
The singer continued, “I’ve heard that this stance was based on how Macklemore delivered some of his messages during his performance, not everything he said.”
Sheeran said he has worked to find a solution with Robert Kraft, head of the Kraft Group, owner of the New England Patriots, and several venue owners, including Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., where Sheeran is scheduled to perform later this month.
“While I, along with activists from both parties, also participated in direct negotiations with the promoters to seek all mutual solutions, the venue and promoters’ decisions were final,” Sheeran said.
Ed Sheeran performance, December 14, 2025, Boston, Massachusetts.
Paras Griffin/Getty Images
“It was the promoter’s decision for Macklemore to cancel his tour, not mine. Macklemore’s tour contract is with the promoter, not mine,” Sheeran said in a post Tuesday.
In his long message, Sheeran also talked about why he doesn’t use his platform to share political messages.
“There’s a reason I don’t use my professional platform for politics. My audience includes young people from all backgrounds, often children. People who come to my shows don’t expect a political forum,” he said.
“I respect Macklemore’s strength of purpose in standing up and shouting for what he believes in, but there is room for multiple approaches to the same goal of peace,” Sheeran continued.
Why did Macklemore say he was removed from the tour?
in him Monday’s statementMacklemore said that although he and Sheeran were friends, “our friendship cannot change my responsibility to tell the truth about what happened.”
Macklemore said Sheeran’s “typically apolitical stance is being challenged in an unprecedented way. He told me that the words ‘Liberate Palestine’ and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful to many people he spoke with.”
Macklemore said in a post Monday that Kraft rallied other venue owners and gave Sheeran an ultimatum to block the show if Macklemore remained on tour.
Macklemore also pushed back on accusations of anti-Semitism in his post, saying that when “opposition to Zionism” is “conflated with hatred of Jews… it shields Israel from responsibility.”
The rapper also said he hopes this doesn’t mean the end of his relationship with Sheeran.
Macklemore was scheduled to perform eight more performances with Sheeran. According to variety.
“I didn’t need 10 Ed shows. I needed two. Two chances to stand in front of 90,000 people and say the words that were somehow too dangerous to say,” Macklemore wrote. “Liberate Palestine.”
In a video of the New Jersey show posted to Macklemore’s Instagram, he says, “One of the reasons I wanted to be on this tour is because I wanted to stand here on stages and stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine. I said Free Palestine.”
He went on to say, “I want to get the word out loud and clear.”
Macklemore also said before his song “Hind’s Hole,” “My Jewish brothers and sisters, criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, opposition to genocide is in no way a criticism of you.”
According to new york timesMacklemore also debuted the song’s music video, which features clips from student protests in Gaza and the United States.
ABC News has reached out to Macklemore for further comment.
Promoter said cancellation would “impact hundreds of thousands of fans”
Messina Tour Group, the tour’s U.S. promoter, said in a statement to ABC News: “As the concert promoter for Ed Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour, we have been informed by the venue for the upcoming U.S. tour dates that they do not allow us to perform concerts with Macklemore in the lineup, which would result in the tour being cancelled, impacting hundreds of thousands of fans. After consultation with our stakeholders, Macklemore will not be appearing on the remaining support dates.”
Robert Kraft explains why Macklemore will play in Foxboro
Kraft responded to Macklemore’s comments in a statement Monday to Boston’s ABC affiliate WCVB, which he shared with ABC News.
“Based on Macklemore’s recent actions, the material he shared from the stage during an Ed Sheeran show in New Jersey, and his extensive history of anti-Semitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe to be highly offensive and harmful to the Jewish community, we have determined that his participation in the September 25th and 26th concerts at Gillette Stadium crosses that line,” Kraft said in part.
He continued: “This decision does not diminish the suffering of innocent Palestinians or deny anyone the right to advocate on their behalf. Their pain and loss are real.”
Mr. Craft added, “I welcome the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Macklemore and discuss the facts, because ultimately our goals are the same – peace for all people, an end to suffering, and an end to all hatred.”
More support acts leave Sheeran’s shows
Rowe also expressed support for Palestine on social media and announced that he would be withdrawing from the tour following Macklemore’s departure.
“I do not take this decision lightly. Ed is my friend and has changed my life, and I cannot thank him enough for this,” Rowe wrote. social media posts Tuesday.
“But as Irish people, we know all too well about genocide, forced starvation and violent occupation,” Rowe said in part.
He concluded: “I need to be true to myself and to my ancestors who resisted colonization and fought for the freedoms we enjoy in Ireland today.”
Lowe was scheduled to perform with Sheeran on upcoming tour dates.
Supporting artists such as Phineas, Beoga and Lucas Graham also withdrew their support on Tuesday.