Ed Sheeran denies dropping Macklemore and blames venues for tour removal

Ed Sheeran says he did not choose to remove Macklemore from his United States tour and has blamed venues and the tour's promoter for the decision.

In his latest account, reported on 20 September, Sheeran described what is happening in Gaza as catastrophic, unjustifiable and disproportionate. He also described what happened in Israel and at the Nova Music Festival on 7 October as horrific, Pitchfork reported.

Sheeran said venues threatened to cancel shows over how Macklemore conveyed his pro-Palestinian message onstage. He blamed Messina Touring Group, the promoter handling the tour logistics, for the removal. He added that Robert Kraft, the owner of Gillette Stadium, had admitted involvement in the decision.

Macklemore was dropped after making onstage 'Free Palestine' statements, according to BBC. On 14 September, he accused Sheeran of dropping him as an opener after Kraft allegedly threatened to cancel the show. Macklemore also claimed Kraft enlisted other stadium owners to pressure Sheeran, and said Sheeran "couldn't get past" his publicly neutral stance.

Sheeran has rejected that version. He said dropping Macklemore was not his decision, Reuters reported. He said he had tried to build a bridge over the support slot before venues said no, Fox News reported.

He said he is deeply worried about the idea that venues should pre-approve the content of performers. That should never happen in the free world, he said.

The fallout has spread beyond the two headliners. Supporting acts quit in solidarity with Macklemore after his removal, Al Jazeera reported. They included Sheeran's backing band Beoga alongside Finneas, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe.

Macklemore has pledged to donate $1 million of his net earnings from the tour to six organisations supporting Palestinian aid. Sheeran's show in Philadelphia went ahead after Macklemore's removal.

For fans holding tickets, the immediate question is what happens next on the road. Sheeran has shows scheduled on 25 and 26 September at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where Macklemore would not be allowed to perform, Reuters reported. One fan, Damien Given, told the BBC he was still torn on whether to attend Sheeran's show on Saturday, calling the artist's response disingenuous.