Ed Sheeran addresses backlash over Macklemore being dropped from tour

Ed Sheeran and Macklemore perform during the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas. Sheeran is addressing Macklemore's removal from his tour as opening act over 'Free Palestine' comments, saying it wasn't his call. (Steve Marcus/Reuters)Social SharingAfter facing a slew of criticism following Macklemore's ejection from his tour as an opening act for his pro-Palestine comments during sets, singer Ed Sheeran has issued a statement claiming it wasn't his call and defending his choice to not take political stances. 

Sheeran said he is "appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine," calling the suffering on "both sides" a "human tragedy." 

Sheeran said upcoming venues contacted him after his shows at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium earlier this month, saying they would pull his performances if Macklemore, 43, was not removed as his opening act, because of "how Macklemore conveyed part of his message during his performance," the singer said. 

Videos from the performances, which have drawn criticism from pro-Israel groups, show the rapper repeating "Free Palestine" to a cheering crowd and expressing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. In his speech at the second show on Sept. 5, he addressed Jewish audience members, saying, "criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, is in no way is a criticism of you.

"My message is for peace; love for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and equality."

Macklemore cut from Ed Sheeran U.S. tour after onstage 'Free Palestine' remarks

In his statement, Sheeran said, "Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter's decision, it was not mine. Macklemore's contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me.

He added that while he tried to "build a bridge," the venues would not change their minds.

Macklemore said in a statement Monday that although Sheeran is "a friend" it doesn't "change my responsibility to tell the truth about what happened."

"He told me that the words 'Free Palestine' and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with. I told him that if those words were more offensive than tens of thousands of Palestinian children being killed by Israel, then there was a fundamental disconnect between where those people stood and where I stood. But he couldn't get past his public facing, 'I don't take sides.'"

Macklemore performs during the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games in 2023. (Thilo Schmuelgen/Reuters)During his set, Macklemore also displayed images of the devastation in Gaza while performing his song, Hind's Hall, about pro-Palestinian student protests, which references Hind Rajab, a child killed by Israeli forces in Gaza.

Amnesty International and a United Nations commission have said Israel's actions in Gaza constitute a genocide. Israel has denied these allegations.

Billionaire Robert Kraft, who owns the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, was one of the people behind the call for Macklemore's removal, Sheeran confirmed.

Kraft, a staunch supporter of Israel, said in a statement shared with CBC News Monday that his stadium would "not provide a platform for hate speech," stating Macklemore spread divisiveness through "selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas."

Backlash against Sheeran was swift online following Macklemore's exit, with critics slamming Sheeran's apolitical stance.

"I am not complicit," Sheeran said in his statement. "I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn't mean I don't have them, and it doesn't mean I don't care."

Ed Sheeran performs in Brooklyn, New York, in September 2025. (Andy Kropa/The Associated Press)Sheeran said he refrains from weighing in on global events because his audience "includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds."

But children's content creator Ms. Rachel, pointed out Tuesday the hypocrisy behind Sheeran participating in charity efforts for Ukraine while considering "Palestine too dangerous and political."

"Imagine being a Palestinian kid and seeing he did a concert for Ukraine but when over 20,000 Palestinian children are killed he's silent," she wrote in an Instagram post. Sheeran was one of the artists who performed at the "Concert for Ukraine" benefit concert in Birmingham, England, in 2022.

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The situation has put a renewed spotlight on how artists who speak up about Gaza often face increased scrutiny. Actors have been dropped from projects or agencies for taking public pro-Palestinian stances.

Sheeran's tour will continue for its remaining eight dates without Macklemore. It ends its run at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., a venue which hosted two Kanye West shows earlier this summer despite calls for cancellation over West's well-documented history of virulent antisemitic statements.

Alexandra Mae Jones is a senior writer for CBC News based in Toronto. She has written on a variety of topics, from health to pop culture to breaking news, and previously reported for CTV News and the Toronto Star. She joined CBC in 2024. You can reach her at alexandra.mae.jones@cbc.ca