A weeks-long controversy over pro-Palestine advocacy on Ed Sheeran’s North American tour has culminated in the British pop star breaking his public silence, labeling Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as unjustifiable and issuing an apology to fans following widespread international backlash. The dispute traces back to early this month, when American rapper Macklemore — a scheduled opening act for Sheeran’s ongoing Loop Tour — took the stage at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium wearing a traditional keffiyeh. Performing before a crowd of over 80,000, Macklemore openly voiced his support for Palestinian people and played his pro-Palestine anthem *Hind’s Hall*, sparking immediate pushback from pro-Israel advocacy groups. These groups quickly launched a public petition demanding Macklemore be removed from all upcoming tour dates, escalating pressure on tour organizers and venue stakeholders. The confrontation came to a head ahead of Sheeran’s planned back-to-back shows at Massachusetts’ Gillette Stadium, scheduled for September 25 and 26. The stadium’s owner, billionaire Robert Kraft — a self-described outspoken supporter of Israel who reaffirmed his commitment to the Jewish state in a 2019 comment — issued an ultimatum: remove Macklemore from the lineup, or the entire shows would be canceled. Kraft also lobbied other tour venue owners to join the pressure campaign, forcing tour stakeholders to make a forced choice. Last week, Macklemore announced via social media that he had been dropped from the tour due to Kraft’s ultimatum. The rapper’s disclosure triggered a wave of solidarity across the tour’s supporting acts: one by one, all remaining opening acts announced they would withdraw from the tour in protest of Macklemore’s removal and in support of Palestinian rights. Among the artists who pulled out was Grammy-winning producer and musician Finneas, brother of pop star Billie Eilish, who wrote on Instagram, “Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” adding that he stood with the Palestinian people. Other withdrawing acts included Irish performers Aaron Rowe and Beoga, and Danish pop group Lukas Graham. The mass withdrawal led to major disruptions for Sheeran’s first show following the controversy, a performance at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field: the concert start time was delayed by two and a half hours, and Sheeran ultimately performed the entire set without any supporting acts. When Sheeran finally took the stage, he addressed the controversy for the first time publicly, telling the gathered crowd, “I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions and I am making mistakes and I’m so, so sorry.” Moving past his earlier statement that he would not use his platform to comment on the conflict, Sheeran explicitly called Israel’s war on Gaza “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate.” Hours before the Philadelphia show began, pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside the venue to voice their criticism of the decision to remove Macklemore, demonstrating ahead of the performance. Just days before his on-stage comments, Sheeran had responded to criticism on social media, arguing that the decision to remove Macklemore had not been his, but rather a choice forced on the tour by promoters and venue owners. He added that he had previously chosen to stay silent on what he called Israel’s genocide in Gaza to avoid mixing his platform with political speech. In the wake of his removal from the tour, Macklemore has drawn broad support from fans and public figures across the globe. Last week, he pledged to donate the entire $1 million he earned from his opening sets on Sheeran’s tour to six organizations working to support Palestinian people. Within days of his announcement, popular children’s content creator Ms. Rachel said she would match Macklemore’s $1 million pledge, donating the sum to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. “I will match Macklemore’s donation, and I invite every wealthy white celebrity to match it and speak out against the genocide in Gaza,” she said in her public announcement.
‘I’m so, so sorry’: Ed Sheeran addresses Gaza on stage after losing every opening act
