Ed Sheeran says it was 'not my decision' to drop Macklemore from tour

Ed Sheeran says it was 'not my decision' to drop Macklemore from tour

Ed Sheeran has shared a lengthy Instagram statement saying that removing Macklemore from his current US tour was not his choice.

The US rapper, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, was taken off the lineup after making pro-Palestinian remarks at two shows in New Jersey.

His comments prompted criticism from Jewish groups, and some venues then pressured the tour promoters to have him removed from the bill.

Sheeran said he had spent all week speaking with the venues “at length ... to try and build a bridge,” but that the promoters, Messina Touring Group, ultimately chose to drop Macklemore.

“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.

“I would never let down the fans who had made plans, nor would I abandon the touring crew and the other support acts and musicians who rely on me for work and to make a living.”

The singer also tried to clarify why he avoids getting involved in political disputes.

“I am not complicit,” he wrote. “I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn't mean I don't have them, and it doesn't mean I don't care.

“Nor does it mean I don't support causes in my own, personal way.”

He went on: “There is a reason I do not use my professional platform for politics - my audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds.

“Those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum. I respect Macklemore's strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes.

“However, there is room for multiple approaches to the same end: Peace.

“I choose to use my fame and platform to be a place of safety and sanctuary, to maintain diplomacy and keep conversations open, not closed. If we only focus on shouting the loudest, nothing will ever change. There are different approaches to being an advocate for change.”

The dispute started on 4 September, when Macklemore appeared during Ed Sheeran's concert at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

He told the crowd: “A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so that I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very, very dear to my heart: Free Palestine.”

He then performed his song Hind's Hall, which is dedicated to pro-Palestinian protestors at Columbia University and condemns Israel's military action in Gaza, while footage of the destruction in Gaza played on the big screen.

Some in the audience applauded, but criticism online followed almost immediately.

The Israeli American Council started a petition calling for him to be removed from the tour, while the campaign group StopAntisemitism said the musician had ambushed fans with propaganda — a claim amplified by pop star Pink, who reposted it on Instagram.

The following night, Macklemore returned to the same stage and spoke directly to his “Jewish brothers and sisters” in the audience.

“Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, is in no way a criticism of you,” he said, adding that he wanted people in Gaza and the West Bank to know they had not been forgotten.

Israel rejects genocide allegations. It says its forces carry out self-defence operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank in line with international law.

The Israeli military launched its Gaza campaign after an unprecedented Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.

During Israel's military campaign in Gaza, more than 73,780 people have been killed, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN.

After days of media coverage, Macklemore announced on Monday that he had been removed from the lineup.

In an Instagram statement, he said the boycott had been organised by Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of Gilette Stadium in Massachusetts.

Kraft, who once hired Ed Sheeran to perform at his wedding, confirmed that he had made the decision to bar Macklemore, saying his venue would not “provide a platform for hate speech,” and accusing the rapper of “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric”.

“I agree with Macklemore, too many lives have been lost and there has been too much suffering, but only sharing selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas is not honest and only advances more divisiveness and hate,” Kraft said.

However, he did not respond to the claim that he had asked other venues to pressure the tour.

Tour promoter Messina Touring Group told Rolling Stone magazine that venues had told it they would not allow Macklemore to perform, “which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans.”

In his statement, Macklemore said he understood the difficult position Sheeran had been placed in, but criticised the English singer for not taking a stand.

“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,” he wrote.

He also stressed that although he was only able to complete two shows on the tour, if his remarks helped “turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I've ever been on.”