Ed Sheeran faces international controversy after Macklemore's exclusion from his tour

International politics collide with Ed Sheeran's tour. The British artist even faces criticism. In question? The choice to exclude rapper Macklemore from concerts after his pro-Palestinian comments.

Ed Sheeran blames promoter

To protest, the singer Finneas, brother of Billie Eilish, the Irish artists Aaron Rowe and Beoga, and the Danish group Lukas Graham, announced on Tuesday that they were canceling their presence on the “Loop Tour”. And this, despite the explanations of Ed Sheeran, who assured on social networks that the exclusion of Macklemore “is a decision which comes from the promoter, it is not mine”.

The American rapper, who opened for the “Loop Tour”, launched “Free Palestine” and assured the Palestinians that they were “not forgotten” during two concerts in early September at MetLife Stadium, near New York.

His forced departure is now turning into international controversy. “Artists must not be silenced when they speak out to defend the oppressed,” Finneas said on Instagram, saying he was “in solidarity with Palestine and its people.”

The history of Ireland alongside that of Gaza

Beoga motivated his departure because of “the muzzling of Macklemore by Zionist lobbies”. “We are Irish people who understand colonialism,” added the group, a long-time supporter of the Palestinian cause. Singer Rowe also invoked his country's troubled history. “As Irish people, we are all too familiar with genocide, famine and violent occupation.” The Lukas Graham group denounced the threats made by several stadium owners if Macklemore remained on the tour.

The rapper regularly describes the offensive carried out by Israel in Gaza, in retaliation for the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, as “genocide”. In 2024, he published Hind's Hall in tribute to Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl whose death sparked a wave of international outrage.

Accusations of anti-Semitism

His detractors accuse him of fueling anti-Semitic clichés. In 2014, he notably wore a costume with a big nose and a beard on stage, an incident for which he publicly apologized. They also point to the clip for his song Fucked up, released in 2025, where we see a puzzle combining a 100 dollar bill on one side and an Israeli flag on the other.

Our articles on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

On Tuesday, Ed Sheeran explained that he “respects Macklemore’s strength of conviction”, while defending his decision not to speak publicly on political subjects, particularly on Gaza. “I am not complicit. I have my personal opinions on this devastating conflict. It’s not because I choose not to express myself publicly that I don’t have any, or that I don’t feel concerned.” “Those who come to my shows don’t expect to participate in a political forum,” he added.