Ed Sheeran's tour faces artist withdrawals after Macklemore's Gaza remarks
Several acts have left Ed Sheeran's U.S. tour following Macklemore's on-stage comments about the Gaza conflict, prompting debate over venue owners' influence on performers and free speech.
When Ed Sheeran took the stage in Philadelphia on Saturday, the absence of an opening act and the Irish group Beoga was noticeable. The changes followed controversy that began when rapper Macklemore used his Sept. 5 MetLife Stadium performance to call for a free Palestine and play a song honoring a young Palestinian girl killed in Gaza.
The appearance attracted criticism from groups such as the Anti-Defamation League, and the Israeli-American Council circulated a petition urging Sheeran to remove Macklemore from the lineup. Macklemore later said Sheeran informed him that several venues would refuse to host the tour if he remained, and he accused Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft of leading the effort. Kraft confirmed that Macklemore was barred from performing, citing a history of antisemitic rhetoric and stating he would not "provide a platform for hate speech." Sheeran said the decision was made by the promoter and the venues.
"I think it does show that a billionaire venue owner like Robert Kraft holds a lot of power to dictate who is allowed to perform in his venue and what these artists are allowed to say," music journalist Zach Schonfeld told NPR's Morning Edition.
By the following Tuesday, additional artists—including Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham and Beoga—had withdrawn from upcoming dates in solidarity with Macklemore. Macklemore announced he would donate his $1 million net earnings from the tour to six organizations supporting Palestinians and invited Kraft to match the contribution.
A July Economist/YouGov poll indicated that 43% of U.S. adults believe Israel is committing genocide against Palestinian civilians, with higher percentages among Democrats and younger voters. Sheeran said he holds personal views on the war but does not want his concerts to become political forums, a stance that drew criticism online and comparisons to his 2022 benefit performance for Ukraine.
Schonfeld noted a similar incident involving Irish rap trio Kneecap, whose shows were canceled after speaking about Gaza, and referenced broader cultural disputes over speech related to Israel and Palestine, including backlash against a filmmaker's Oscar speech and protests surrounding a documentary on West Bank displacement.
In Israel, directors of the documentary "NAZA," which investigates Israeli intelligence targeting in Gaza, faced pressure from the culture minister to lose their citizenship. Schonfeld concluded that Sheeran's widespread mainstream reach makes this the most high-profile example of the ongoing debate over artistic expression and venue control.