Ed Sheeran Says Dropping Macklemore From Tour Was 'Promoter's Decision, Not Mine'

Macklemore's removal from Ed Sheeran's U.S. Loop Tour was the promoter's call, not the headliner's, Sheeran said in an Instagram statement posted Tuesday, September 15. The rapper had been dropped from the bill on September 14 after making pro-Palestinian remarks during two MetLife Stadium shows in New Jersey earlier in the month.

Sheeran wrote that after Macklemore's performances, venues on upcoming tour dates "communicated that they would pull the shows if he was still supporting." He said he was told the objections were based on "how Macklemore conveyed part of his message during his performance, rather than on everything that was said."

The singer said he spent the week trying to resolve the standoff, speaking directly with venue owners including Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, and involving "activists on both sides." But the decision was ultimately out of his hands. "Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter's decision, it was not mine," Sheeran wrote. "Macklemore's contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me."

Sheeran also defended his choice not to publicly discuss the Israel-Palestine conflict, writing that he is "appalled" by the violence and considers the "suffering and pain caused on both sides" a "human tragedy." He said he keeps his personal views private because his audience includes "young people, often children, of all backgrounds" who "do not expect a political forum."

“I am not complicit. 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.”

: Ed Sheeran, Instagram

The statement came hours before the tour's remaining support acts announced their departures. Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and Sheeran's backing band Beoga all said they would leave the trek in solidarity with Macklemore. "Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed," Finneas posted on Instagram.

Macklemore had first sparked the controversy on September 4, when he told the MetLife 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 condemns Israel's military action in Gaza, while footage of destruction was shown on screen.

The Israeli American Council launched a petition demanding Macklemore's removal, and the campaign group StopAntisemitism accused him of ambushing fans with propaganda, a claim amplified by Pink. Kraft later said the rapper's comments went against his venue's "longstanding commitment to providing a welcoming environment for all guests."

Sheeran concluded his statement by saying he had spent the week "trying to build bridges, to find a solution" but was "unable to do so." He added: "I know who I am, both as a person and as an artist, and those who know my heart know my values too."