Ed Sheeran says it wasn’t his call to drop Macklemore over ‘Free Palestine’ remarks

Ed Sheeran clarified that the decision to remove Macklemore from his tour was made by the promoter, not by him, following Macklemore's pro-Palestinian remarks at a recent concert. Sheeran stated, “I am not complicit” and expressed his dismay at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, emphasizing his platform's role in uniting people. Robert Kraft, a pro-Israel billionaire who owns a stadium where the artists were scheduled to perform, confirmed he informed Sheeran's team that Macklemore would not be permitted to perform due to his “deeply offensive and hurtful” comments to the Jewish community. Following Sheeran's statement, three other supporting acts—Aaron Rowe, Beoga, and Finneas—announced their departure from the tour, posting pro-Palestinian solidarity messages and criticizing Kraft and what they termed the “zionist lobby.” The Israeli-American Council, however, criticized Sheeran, stating, “It's time to take responsibility for giving a stage to antisemitic messaging.”