After singer Ed Sheeran dropped rapper Macklemore from his tour after Macklemore’s Pro-Palestine comments onstage, backlash erupted, leaving everybody questioning: “When does it become too much to silence political opinions over a commercial tour?”.
Unpacking the controversy
English singer songwriter Ed Sheeran, known for hits such as ‘Shape of You’ and ‘Castle on the Hill’, embarked on his world tour in January of this year in support of his most recent studio album ‘Play’. The tour began in Auckland, ran through the U.S and is ongoing, scheduled to stop off in countries across South America.
Accompanying Sheeran on his grand tour were artists such as Lukas Graham, Finneas, Aaron Rowe and Macklemore, who were set to perform as opening acts for the shows. American rapper and songwriter Macklemore, widely known for hits such as ‘Thrift Shop’ and ‘Can’t Hold Us’, opened the first two nights of the U.S portion of the tour on Sep. 4 and 5 2026. During these sets, he made pro-Palestinian remarks and performed his track ‘Hind’s Hall’ in protest of the harrowing conflict.
Following this set, promoters of the tour forcibly removed Macklemore from the setlist, refusing to host the tour if he remained. This led to a series of “difficult conversations” between Sheeran and Macklemore, as Macklemore himself stated on his Instagram, which ultimately led to the removal of Macklemore from Sheeran’s tour as an opener.
This event ignited rage from not only the public but from other influential figures online and in-person:
– Paloma Faith (singer-songwriter) publicly criticised Sheeran over the decision to drop Macklemore
– Kehlani (singer-songwriter) voiced her support for Macklemore on Instagram
– Kneecap (band) similarly supported Macklemore on Instagram, commenting: “All love and solidarity to @macklemore”.
Similarly, other openers for Sheeran’s tour showed their own solidarity for Macklemore by dropping out, including Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga.
Following the public backlash and pressure, Sheeran posted an explanation on his Instagram on Sep. 15, discussing the reasons behind Macklemore’s removal and his intention to keep his music politically ‘neutral’ to appease his younger audiences. However, this continued to anger many fans, claiming that a neutral stance can be seen as siding with the oppressor, and Sheeran remained ‘cancelled’ by audiences worldwide.
Macklemore himself has announced the preparation to launch a ‘Free Palestine’ tour in late October 2026, with all proceeds being donated to those in Gaza and in need of humanitarian aid. Sheeran, on the other hand, found new openers for the rest of the U.S portion of the continued Loop Tour, and plans to continue despite backlash.
What do you think? Do you think removing Macklemore was a justified move, or does it silence those who advocate for what they believe in?