Ed Sheeran has just found that out there’s no such thing as being apolitical if you are one of the biggest artists on the planet. Your proximity to power, and therefore influence increases tenfold. You must compromise or take a stand, but Ed Sheeran is only interested in self-preservation and self-interest.
Ed Sheeran has removed Macklemore as support from his American tour due to pressure from stadium venue owners who took offence at Macklemore calling for “Free Palestine,” deeming those words antisemitic (they are not).
“To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide 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 statement at Metlife Stadium, September 5th – has been deemed hate speech by Robert Kraft.
Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots and of Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, where the tour was due to play, rang Sheeran directly to say Macklemore would not be permitted to perform at his venue and apparently lobbied other owners to do the same.
Their ultimatum to Ed Sheeran was – kick Macklemore off the tour or you aren’t playing our venues. Sheeran decided to side with the billionaires over his friend of 13 years, and removed Macklemore from the tour.
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The Irish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe is also on the tour support along with Danish artist Lukas Graham.
What did Ed Sheeran think was going to happen when he asked Macklemore to play?
The full rundown of what happened so far is below so you can read it yourself (Macklemore’s post is particularly enlightening) but one has to wonder if Ed Sheeran was living under a rock for the last three years? He must have known that Macklemore speaks up for Palestine at every gig he has done and he would do so supporting Ed too?
In Macklemore’s statement, he shares some illuminating insight into his conversations with Ed Sheeran who wanted to remain apolitical from all of this:
Ed was in a fucked up position. He knew it. His typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before. 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.”
Here’s the problem for Ed Sheeran though (who has previously shown support for Ukraine in the conflict against Russia by the way) – we live in a world where an artist can no longer sit on the fence, even if they wanted to.
Robert Kraft’s actions to put pressure on Sheeran to remove Macklemore from the tour, is a man in power silencing those he doesn’t agree with – citing hate speech and antisemitism, the go-to argument used by the pro-Israel lobby in America to shut down Palestinian solidarity.
Macklemore previously apologised for a costume he wore on stage in 2014 which was called out for being antisemitic.
The music industry doesn’t exist in a vacuum – when President Trump decides he doesn’t like what pro-Palestine activist and American resident Mahmoud Khalil stands for saying and uses his power to remove him from the country, not only is democracy and due process eroded but the rich guys like Kraft are emboldened to do the same to others they disagree with.
Robert Kraft and the hypocrisy of stadium tours
Kraft considers Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu his friends. Robert Kraft has a history in Israel-related philanthropy, along with investing in combating antisemitism. In 2019, he started Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS) and sponsored an ad in 2023 encouraging people to denounce hate against Jewish people, an action that was in direct response to antisemitic comments made by Kanye West.
West in recent years has expressed love for Hitler and Nazis and released a song called ‘Heil Hitler’ only last year. Despite this, Ye went on a tour of US stadiums in 2025 without repercussions – including Raymond James Stadium which is one of the stadiums said to be refusing to host Macklemore, due to Kraft’s insistent meddling, and has a show in November at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, another venue which is refusing to host Macklemore.
Unlike Gillette, Raymond James Stadium isn’t a billionaire’s private property. It’s owned by Hillsborough County and operated by the Tampa Sports Authority, a public board. When Ye toured US stadiums in 2025, his promoter reportedly wrote a clause into the contract barring the venue from cancelling over his past statements and legal experts pointed out that cancelling would likely have breached the First Amendment, precisely because a government body can’t punish speech it dislikes.
The Tampa Sports Authority has confirmed Macklemore won’t be performing. A public authority, bound by the First Amendment, has apparently accepted a private veto over who gets to speak on a publicly owned stage. If the constitution protected Ye’s right to play that stadium after Heil Hitler’, it’s not obvious what principle removes Macklemore for saying “Free Palestine”.
Sheeran has taken a side
There’s one more detail that makes Sheeran’s neutrality harder to stomach. Kraft’s Blue Square Alliance Against Hate, the campaign arm of the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, currently features a photograph on its About page of Ed Sheeran wearing the blue square pin, captioned as support for the fight against hate. The image has been on the site since September 2024.
So this wasn’t a cold call from a stranger who happened to own a stadium. Sheeran had already lent his face to Kraft’s cause. He was happy enough to be photographed for a campaign against hate; he was not willing to extend that to Palestinians when it would personally cost him eight gigs. That’s not neutrality. That’s a man who has already picked which hate he’s comfortable opposing in public.
So Sheeran tried not to choose a side, but in removing Macklemore, his friend, from the tour in order to kowtow to the billionaire owner he has actually taken a side. In doing so, Sheeran failed to recognise his own power to affect change as one of the biggest artists in the world.
Fans of Ed Sheeran, and others have, and will say – Ed Sheeran doesn’t have to say anything about politics, we should keep politics out of music and so on.
Showing opposition to the ongoing genocide that has resulted in 20,000 children being killed with a further 58,000 children having lost one or both parents is not political.
It’s about humanity, it’s about speaking up for what’s right in the world – “we shouldn’t kill kids” is somehow offensive to people? Is it more important that Ed honours his fans’ tickets than show some moral backbone and stand up for those being killed? He has decided it is. The company Ed keeps, as per Macklemore’s post below, have told him that the words “Free Palestine” and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful so he has decided that their feelings are more important than stopping the killing of kids in Gaza.
Ed Sheeran isn’t apolitical – he has spoken up for Ukraine and against Brexit previously. In this situation, Sheeran has chosen not to speak up – that’s his right – I believe a person in his position of influence has a moral duty to use it. There is no neutral ground when it comes to a genocide happening and you have influence to say something about it. He has yet to say anything about all this.
It isn’t controversial to say there is a genocide happening – the UN Commission says Israel has committed genocide in the Gaza Strip, The International Criminal Court (ICC) have issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity and Amnesty International’s investigation concluded Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
By agreeing to remove Macklemore – Ed Sheeran has sided with those who view Macklemore’s statement of solidarity as antisemitic, and has chosen to protect his bottom line over showing solidarity with his friend at the very least. If Ed Sheeran wanted to remain apolitical on Palestine, why did he invite one of the most visible Pro-Palestinian artists in the world of popular music to support him?
The cost of doing business at the top of the music pyramid is being entrenched in a system that relies on those who wield political capital and influence for their own end and the causes they represent, therefore bringing the political interests of those in power in play. Ed might want to stay apolitical but those in charge of the places he plays and the industry he moves through are not.
Ed could have learned how to navigate this situation by looking at the actions of his friend Hozier, who has consistently expressed solidarity with Palestine at his American gigs. When a fan Hiba Ahmad at his OVO Arena Wembley concert in London in 2023 was told to remove and put away her “Free Palestine” scarf, Hozier got the venue to issue a public apology in which they admitted that their staff failed to follow proper venue policy and falsely blamed Hozier. The venue made a donation to the UNICEF Children in Gaza Appeal.
Is Ed Sheeran aware of the Palestinian artist solidarity movement?
Englishman Ed likes to talk about his Irish heritage and perhaps he has actually paid attention to the Irish and UK acts who have shown Palestinian solidarity in recent years, and decided he didn’t want any of that blowback.
Kneecap have been dropped from festival bills, refused visas and dragged through a prosecution. Bob Vylan lost representation and US entry after Glastonbury. The Murder Capital’s German shows were cancelled over a Palestine flag display, A Lankum gig in Germany was cancelled due to their support for Palestine and The Mary Wallopers had a gig cut short in the UK for displaying a Palestinian flag. Fontaines D.C. have been vocal and shown support without any repercussions as yet, though one wonders as their shows get bigger will they encounter Kraft-like opposition to their Palestinian solidarity. I’m betting, it’s unlikely they will shirk their moral clarity if the time comes.
Normally the behind-the-scenes machinations of pressure from those in power in the industry remains hidden, and these artists are quietly dropped from bills for their stances.
What’s useful about the Macklemore case is that the flashpoint happened in broad brazen daylight. The promoter confirmed the venues issued a threat. A venue owner confirms he barred a performer. We normally get none of that. We get a lineup change and a statement about scheduling but artists now know they have real power.
When Kneecap said “Fuck Israel / Free Palestine” at Coachella, the pro-Israel American music industry lobby mobilised in an attempt to silence them, but they didn’t waver in speaking up for what is right even though they stand to lose. By contrast, Ed Sheeran has rolled over like a lapdog.
The BDS movement run by Palestinians have called on Ed Sheeran to cancel his compromised US tour, which also calls on opening artists, audience members and, crew members to boycott the complicit tour.
What did Macklemore say?
On the first night at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4th, Macklemore gave a speech in support of Palestine, before playing his song – ‘Hind’s Hall’, his song about the Columbia University encampments and played footage of the destruction in Gaza, to applause.
“I wanted to do this tour in the first place, because I wanted to stand up in stadiums and say two words that are near and dear to my heart. Free Palestine. I said, Free Palestine.
I want those words to be loud and clear, so the people from Gaza, all the way to the occupied West Bank, know that we have not forgotten them…”“…So I say Free Palestine, I say Free Lebanon, I say Free Cuba, to Congo, to Sudan, to Iran. I say Free all people in America living in fear of this terrorist organization, ICE. None of us will be free until we are all free.”
The following night on September 5th, Macklemore said.
“And this next song was inspired by the bravery of Columbia University students who led an encampment movement that mobilized the entire world; open up hearts, myself included, so thank you to those students that risked their diplomas, that risked their tuition, that risked their scholarships, that stood up and said, no. CUAD students, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voices for Peace. Thank you, guys.
“To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide 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’s second night speech was posted on Instagram with the caption – “Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial.”
The fallout of his performances – accusations of antisemitism
- StopAntisemitism posts an Instagram Story accusing him of using the slot for anti-Israel propaganda and calling for ticket refunds which the artist Pink reposts on her account.
- The Israeli-American Council calls for him to be removed from the tour.
- Pink faces backlash, and responds initially with meme artwork on Instagram before issuing a statement saying she took issue with Macklemore telling Jewish people it isn’t about them – “You don’t get to decide that for us. That’s what prompted my repost. What I need is to be able to say, as a Jewish mom, ‘that scared me, and it scared people I love’, without being told our fear is just propaganda, and without being told I’m somehow cool with genocide because I noticed?” Statement in full.
- Macklemore says Sheeran told him Kraft had called to say he wouldn’t be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium, and that Kraft had rallied other stadium owners into a collective ultimatum: get rid of Macklemore or lose the venues for the shows.
- Macklemore was due to appear at eight of the 10 shows left on the U.S. leg of Sheeran’s tour, which is set to resume this Saturday, September 19th, in Philadelphia.
- The venues that allegedly objected to Macklemore include: Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia; Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts; Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta; Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis; Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina; AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
- Messina Touring Group, promoter of the U.S. leg of Sheeran’s Loop Tour, said: “As the concert promoter for Ed Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour, we have been notified by venues on the upcoming U.S. tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans. After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates.”
- Robert Kraft confirms the Gillette decision was his, citing Macklemore’s recent actions, the material shown from the stage, and what he describes as a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric though he doesn’t address the claim that he organised other owners – his full statement is below.
- Macklemore stands by the performances, writing that questions of who gets cancelled and who gets to play a stadium shrink against what’s happening in Gaza and the West Bank – his Instagram statement yesterday is illuminating.
Macklemore’s Instagram Statement after being removed (key points in bold)
I’m not sure how to start this. So I’m going to speak from the heart and share the truth. Ed Sheeran and his team have made the decision to remove me from The Loop tour.
But before I get into it, I want to say something that should be obvious. In this moment I think it matters. I am not a victim. Ed Sheeran is not a victim. Pink is not a victim. We have careers, money, opportunities, safety and audiences around the world. Whatever consequences any of us face for what we say, we get to go home to our families.
The victims are the Palestinian people. The men, women and children who have been killed, starved, displaced and forced to live through unimaginable violence. More than 20,000 children have been killed in Gaza alone. People are being killed today, and people will be killed tomorrow. I want to make sure that as I tell this story, we don’t lose sight of that.
Ed is my friend. I’ve known him for 13 years. We’ve shared late nights, studio sessions and stages. He has this infectious magic about him that I’ve grown to love. I consider him a brother. And because of that, we’ve had some difficult conversations this past week. The type of talks rooted in love and respect for one another that still end in a place of fundamental disagreement. Nothing I’m writing here is out of spite or because I want to tear down his character. But as I told Ed multiple times on the phone, our friendship can’t change my responsibility to tell the truth about what happened.
Last Monday, in the middle of all the media attention surrounding Pink and what I said at MetLife, Ed told me that Robert Kraft called him. We were scheduled to play Gillette Stadium later this month, which is owned by the Kraft Group. Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium. Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.
Ed was in a fucked up position. He knew it. His typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before. 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.”
And I get why people don’t. Taking a side can cost you. Money, brand deals, sponsorships, festivals, private shows, relationships and access. I’ve lost all of those things. But there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed. When one side has the bombs and bottomless financial and military support from America, refusing to take a side doesn’t leave you in the middle.
What I said at MetLife I have been saying on stages around the world for almost three years. So why is it an issue now? Because now I’m sharing a stage with one of the biggest artists in the world, in some of the biggest stadiums in America. At a certain level of exposure, “Free Palestine” becomes too much of a risk. If I kept doing the shows, saying Free Palestine, with Ed implicitly supporting it, the crowd getting loud and showing undeniable support for Palestinian liberation, what artist might speak out next? The stage becomes resistance. Maybe that’s why this time it became so important to silence me.
And one of the most effective ways to enforce that silence has been to weaponize the accusation of antisemitism. Antisemitism is real. And that is exactly why the word matters too much to be used as a shield against criticism of the Israeli state. When criticizing Israel, opposing Zionism or saying “Free Palestine” gets conflated with hatred of Jewish people, it doesn’t protect Jewish people. It protects Israel from accountability.
I hope this isn’t the end of my relationship with Ed. Thirteen years of friendship doesn’t disappear because of one painful disagreement. I hope we both continue listening, studying what is happening in Palestine and wrestling with what neutrality means in a moment like this. My door will always be open to continuing that conversation.
When my brother Omar was doing the subtitles for the video I posted from MetLife, I thanked him. He told me there’s a phrase in Arabic:
لا شكر على واجب
“La shukra ala wajeb.” There is no thanks for a duty.
That stayed with me. Because that’s what this has become for me and millions of others around the world. A duty. Not something deserving of praise or gratitude. Not brave. Human.
Who is winning the internet, who is getting canceled, who gets to play the stadium and who doesn’t, all of it becomes so small when held against what we are actually witnessing in Gaza and the West Bank. An entire people being displaced, starved and killed while the world debates which words we are allowed to use to describe it, how those words make us feel, and whether our discomfort matters more than the people living through a genocide.
I didn’t need 10 shows from Ed. I needed 2. Two chances to stand in front of 90,000 people and say the words that somehow became too dangerous to say.
Free Palestine.
But if those words cost me the stage, while turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I’ve ever been on.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
