Ed Sheeran Speaks Out After Macklemore Is Dropped From His Tour Over ‘Free Palestine’ Speech, Claims It Was ‘Promoter’s Decision, Not Mine’

Ed Sheeran Speaks Out After Macklemore Is Dropped From His Tour Over ‘Free Palestine’
Speech, Claims It Was
‘Promoter’s Decision, Not Mine’

#EdSheeran addressed Macklemore’s exit from his Loop Tour in an Instagram statement Tuesday, clarifying that the decision came from his tour promoter, not from him.

He explained that venues on upcoming dates threatened to cancel shows if Macklemore remained on the bill, a stance he said was tied to how Macklemore delivered part of his free Palestinian message during the #NewJersey shows rather than the message itself. Sheeran said he spent the week in direct talks with venues, promoters, and activists on both sides — including a conversation with Patriots and Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft — trying to find a resolution, but that “the venue’s and promoter’s decision was final.” He was firm that the split traces back to Macklemore’s contract being with the promoter, not with him personally, adding that he wouldn’t risk letting down fans or the touring crew who depend on the tour for work.

Sheeran also defended his choice to stay publicly neutral on the Israel-Palestine conflict, pushing back on the idea that his silence meant indifference. “I am not complicit,” he wrote, noting that his shows draw young audiences, including children, who don’t come expecting a “political forum.” He said he respects #Macklemore’s willingness to speak out but believes there’s more than one legitimate path toward the same goal. His statement follows Monday’s statement from Macklemore, in which he exposed Kraft for allegedly rallying other stadium owners into an ultimatum against Sheeran.