Ed Sheeran is now facing backlash of his own. The Daily Mail reported this week on the singer’s response to the fallout after Macklemore was removed from his U.S. tour. Sheeran broke his silence with a lengthy statement laying out his side of the story.
The trouble started when Macklemore was dropped as Sheeran’s opening act for the remaining shows on the American leg of the Loop Tour. He had delivered a “Free Palestine” speech during two nights at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, a moment that also drew an online petition pushing for his removal. Venues on upcoming tour dates said they would pull the shows if Macklemore stayed on the bill.
The fallout appears to have followed Sheeran onto social media. According to an IBTimes UK report, the singer lost nearly 100,000 Instagram followers in the days after Macklemore’s exit became public.
Ed Sheeran Explains His Side Of The Macklemore Fallout
Sheeran then addressed the Israel-Palestine conflict directly in his statement. “I am appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine,” he wrote. “The suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy.” He added that “there are too many wars across the world causing immeasurable pain, none of which should be tolerated.”
Much of Sheeran’s statement was devoted to explaining his role in Macklemore’s removal. He said venues on his upcoming tour dates had told him they would “pull the shows” if Macklemore was still supporting.
“Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine,” he wrote. “Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me.” That lines up with what he told fans in his earlier remarks, where he pinned the final call on the tour’s promoter rather than himself.
Sheeran also pushed back on the idea that his refusal to take a public political stance means indifference. “I am not complicit,” he wrote. He said he has personal views on the conflict but chooses not to share them publicly, since his audience includes children from many backgrounds. He spent the week trying to build a bridge between the venues and Macklemore, without success.
One of the people he spoke with during those talks was Robert Kraft. He was also in contact with promoters and activists from both sides. In the end, he said, the final call belonged to the venues and the promoter.
The singer also promised fans that his own tour plans would not change because of the fallout. “I would never let down the fans who had made plans,” he wrote, adding that he would not abandon the crew and other acts who rely on the tour for work.
Sheeran said he respects Macklemore’s choice to speak out, even though it is not his own approach. “I respect Macklemore’s strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes,” he wrote. “However, there is room for multiple approaches to the same end: peace.”
His statement closed on a personal note, saying he knows who he is “both as a person and as an artist,” and that those who know his heart also know his values.
Published: Sep 16, 2026 06:38 am