Sheeran Says Promoter, Not He, Removed Macklemore From U.S. Tour
Ed Sheeran says it was not his decision to remove Macklemore from his current United States tour. In a statement on Instagram, he said the promoter, Messina Touring Group, made the decision BBC.
The contract, he said, was not with him. He added that he spent much of the week speaking with venues to try to build a bridge over the controversy.
The dispute goes back to 4 September at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, was performing on Sheeran's bill. During the show, Macklemore said he wanted to stand in stadiums and say "Free Palestine." He then performed Hind's Hall, dedicated to pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University, while video footage of devastation in Gaza played on the big screen BBC.
That performance drew organized opposition. The Israeli American Council launched a petition demanding Macklemore's removal from the tour. Separately, the campaign group StopAntisemitism accused Macklemore of ambushing fans with propaganda, a claim amplified when singer Pink reposted it on Instagram BBC.
The following night, Macklemore returned to the same New Jersey stage. He addressed his "Jewish brothers and sisters" directly, saying criticism of Israel and opposition to genocide was not criticism of them.
Sheeran's official North America site still lists a 19 September 2026 Loop Tour date at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia with special guests Macklemore, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe Ed Sheeran North America. The page carries no publication date, and its standing relative to the promoter's decision is unclear from the available record.
The broader context here is control. On large commercial tours, billing, meaning who is listed to perform, often sits with promoters and venues rather than headliners, even when the headliner's name sells the tickets. Think of the promoter as the general contractor and the headliner as the main draw. Sheeran's account leans on that division. It separates artistic association from contractual power.
Looking at what this means for live-music politics, the mechanism matters as much as the message. Petitions and social-media amplification can move faster than tour contracts can adapt. Promoters weigh venue risk, sponsor exposure and audience reaction. Headliners weigh credibility with collaborators and with fragmented audiences. The result is rarely a clean test of speech principles. It is negotiation under pressure.
In my view, the questions to watch are procedural. Who formally notifies a support act of removal, and on what contractual grounds. What Sheeran's week of calls with venues sought to preserve, whether a joint appearance, a solo set or simply dialogue. Whether the Philadelphia listing is updated, honored or quietly revised. Those details will determine how this case travels to other tours facing similar pressures over political speech on commercial stages.
