“Ed Who?” was the opening jab flashing across the screen over Roger Waters’ own cover of “We Shall Overcome” before the Pink Floyd legend and co-founder got to his real business.
Waters posted the short video to Instagram on September 15, 2026, chiming in on the controversial removal of Macklemore from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour over the rapper’s pro-Palestinian remarks.
“There are two kinds of people in this world, Ed,” Waters said. “There’s people who do the right thing.” He then applauded Macklemore’s choice to shout “Free Palestine” during his opening acts on tour: “The rapper Macklemore would be one of those people.”
But Waters wasn’t done with Sheeran, so then came the insult. “And there’s people, many of them sadly, little f— excuse me, I nearly used the F-word then… pricks like you who do the wrong thing.” He signed off his message with a simple: “Goodbye.”
The row began September 4 when Macklemore called out “Free Palestine” from the MetLife Stadium stage in East Rutherford, New Jersey, opening for Sheeran, then performed his protest track “Hind’s Hall.” The Israeli American Council petitioned for his removal, alleging that a stadium gig is the wrong venue for a political message. On September 14, the promoter behind the tour confirmed the rapper was off Sheeran’s remaining U.S. dates. (via Variety)
Sheeran said the call wasn’t his. “Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine,” he wrote in a separate message on Instagram after the rapper told his side. He said he’d been trying to “build a bridge” and had spoken with venues, maintaining: “I am not complicit.”
The defense won few people over, however, and nearly every remaining opener — including Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and Irish band Beoga — abandoned the tour in solidarity.
Waters has a long history of advocating for the Palestinian cause
Roger Waters took his time coming up with this rebuke, because in the clip, he showed off two images behind him, one of U.N. Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, a leading critic of Israel’s war in Gaza, and the other a Gazan woman in tears.
He is a longtime supporter of the Palestinian cause, and he’s already clashed with fellow musicians over it before, namely Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood. (per NME) He’s even swapped barbs with Disturbed’s David Draiman.
Sheeran, who said he keeps his “personal views on this devastating conflict” private, just happens to be the newest colleague in Waters’ crosshairs.
As for the Loop Tour, it presses ahead, with the next date landing on September 19 in Philadelphia. No replacement opener has been confirmed after the walkouts.
Published: Sep 17, 2026 12:59 pm