Ed Sheeran is pushing back against suggestions that he was responsible for Macklemore being removed from his Loop Tour following controversy over the rapper’s pro-Palestinian comments.
As the fallout between Ed Sheeran and Macklemore intensifies, the singer says the decision belonged to the tour promoter, revealing that he spent days speaking with venues, activists and Robert Kraft in an unsuccessful attempt to keep the situation from escalating.
Ed Sheeran Denies Making the Decision to Drop Macklemore
Sheeran addressed the controversy Tuesday, one day after Macklemore spoke publicly about being dropped from the tour.
“Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision. It was not mine. Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me,” Sheeran wrote on Instagram, according to TheWrap.
That contractual distinction is central to Sheeran’s defense. Although the Loop Tour carries his name and Macklemore was appearing as a supporting act, Sheeran maintains that he did not have final authority over the rapper’s participation.
The “Shape of You” singer also said he would not cancel his own performances because doing so would affect fans who had already made plans and the touring crew, musicians and other support acts who depend on the shows for work.
Sheeran then directly rejected suggestions that his decision to continue touring made him responsible for what happened. “I am not complicit,” he declared.
The Dispute Involved Pressure From Venues
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Sheeran’s statement also offered more detail about what happened behind the scenes after Macklemore performed at his New Jersey shows. According to the singer, venues scheduled to host upcoming dates warned that they would pull the concerts if Macklemore remained a supporting act.
Tour promoter Messina Touring Group separately confirmed that upcoming venues had informed promoters they would not allow concerts to take place with Macklemore in the lineup, Reuters reported. Sheeran said he was told the objections centered on how Macklemore conveyed part of his message during his performance rather than everything the rapper said.
Instead of immediately accepting the venues’ position, Sheeran said he spent the week attempting to broker a solution. “I spoke with the venues at length all week to try and build a bridge,” he explained.
Those discussions included Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots. Gillette Stadium, where the Patriots play, is scheduled to host Loop Tour concerts on Sept. 25 and 26. Sheeran also said he spoke directly with promoters and activists on both sides of the conflict but ultimately couldn’t change the outcome. “The venue’s and promoter’s decision was final,” he said.
Robert Kraft Defended Blocking Macklemore From Gillette Stadium
Kraft had already publicly explained why Macklemore would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium. In a Monday statement via Rolling Stone, the billionaire cited material shared during Macklemore’s performances in New Jersey as well as what he described as a broader history of rhetoric and imagery that he believed had been offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community, according to TheWrap.
Macklemore had been scheduled to appear at eight of Sheeran’s 10 remaining U.S. shows, with the tour resuming Sept. 19 in Philadelphia, according to Reuters.
The controversy had already been building before his removal. On Sept. 6, the Israeli-American Council launched a petition urging Sheeran and tour organizers to remove Macklemore after his performances at MetLife Stadium.
The organization objected to Macklemore’s political messaging during the concerts and questioned whether an opening act should use another artist’s concert platform to promote a political position.
Sheeran’s subsequent account adds another layer to the dispute, with the singer maintaining that he tried to find a compromise after venues threatened to reject shows featuring Macklemore.
Macklemore Criticized Sheeran’s Apolitical Position
Macklemore offered a different perspective on Sheeran’s role in the dispute. While acknowledging that antisemitism is real, the rapper defended his decision to use the stage to advocate for Palestinians and criticized Sheeran’s reluctance to take a side in the conflict publicly.
“Ed was in a f–ked up position. He knew it,” Macklemore wrote Monday, according to TheWrap. The rapper said Sheeran’s usual apolitical approach was being tested in a way it hadn’t been previously. “But he couldn’t get past his public-facing ‘I don’t take sides,’” the rapper added.
Macklemore said losing the remaining shows was ultimately less important to him than having the opportunity to deliver his message before massive audiences. “If those words cost me the stage, while turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I’ve been on,” he wrote.
The comments created a notable tension in the controversy surrounding the tour. Macklemore questioned Sheeran’s decision to remain publicly neutral, while Sheeran maintains that neutrality should not be interpreted as approval of Macklemore’s removal.
Ed Sheeran Macklemore Fallout Puts Singer’s Neutrality Under Scrutiny
Sheeran acknowledged having personal opinions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but said he deliberately keeps politics separate from his professional platform. He also condemned the suffering caused by the conflict, calling the pain experienced on both sides a human tragedy.
“There is a reason I do not use my professional platform for politics,” he wrote, explaining that his audience includes young fans and children from a variety of backgrounds who do not attend his concerts expecting a political forum. At the same time, Sheeran said he respected Macklemore for publicly standing behind his beliefs.
His response distinguishes between respecting someone’s decision to advocate for a cause and allowing political messaging to become part of his own concerts. That distinction is now at the heart of the Ed Sheeran Macklemore dispute.
Macklemore believes speaking out was worth losing his place on the tour, while Sheeran says he tried to find a compromise without turning his shows into political forums. Sheeran’s account also maintains that despite being the Loop Tour’s headliner, the decision to remove Macklemore ultimately rested with the promoter.
