As the fallout from Macklemore's removal from Ed Sheeran's tour continues, musicians, lawmakers and activists across the political spectrum have weighed in with their opinions. Macklemore was removed from the tour following a two-minute speech on 4 September at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where the Grammy-winning artist repeatedly said “Free Palestine” and said that he wanted people in Gaza and the West Bank to know they had not been forgotten. This prompted owners of subsequent tour venues on the North American leg of Sheeran's Loop tour, including Robert Kraft, billionaire owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, to object to Macklemore’s appearance on the tour.
While several artists have publicly backed Macklemore and withdrawn from the tour in protest, others have defended Sheeran's decision or criticized the rapper's comments. The Pink Floyd co-founder directly criticized Ed Sheeran in a video posted to X. There's people who do the right thing.
That rapper Macklemore would be one of those people,” he said, adding: “And there's people, many of them sadly little, excuse me, p***** like you who do the wrong thing. Goodbye.” In a short interview with TMZ, the New York congresswoman argued the controversy was bigger than either performer, framing it as an example of powerful interests allegedly being able to silence artists who speak on political issues. "It's become clear that this is not just about one music artist or two music artists, but this is about how just a handful of stadium owners and the elite can prevent an entire massive issue, in this case, the genocide in Gaza, but it doesn't stop there," Ocasio-Cortez said.
Children's educator Rachel Accurso accused Sheeran of taking a political stance when supporting Ukraine while remaining silent on Palestinian suffering. When his opening act says Palestinians should be free and not in a genocide he lets a billionaire kick him off,” Accurso wrote on Instagram. The Irish singer-songwriter announced he would withdraw as a support act on Sheeran's tour following the removal of Macklemore.
Ed has been a friend to me and has changed my life,” he wrote. I need to be true to myself and my ancestors who resisted colonization, and fought for a freedom that I enjoy today in Ireland.” Billie Eilish's brother and frequent collaborator announced he would no longer appear on upcoming Sheeran tour dates, writing that "artists must not be silenced" for speaking on behalf of oppressed people. He added: “I stand with Palestine and its people.” The Danish band withdrew from the remaining tour dates, saying in a statement on Instagram: “Money doesn’t give you the right to own the conversation.
Nobody’s bank balance should decide who gets to speak or which suffering we’re allowed to acknowledge... I’m sorry we won’t be there. This is a difficult decision, but it’s one I need to stand by.” The Irish folk group, which has worked closely with Sheeran for years, left the tour while emphasizing support for Macklemore.
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