Singer Ed Sheeran responded to the criticism aroused by the exclusion of Macklemore from his North American Loop tour, which occurred after the speech in favor of "free Palestine" that the rapper had given on September 4, 2026 on stage at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The Grammy Award-winning artist said he wanted to let the people of Gaza and the "occupied West Bank" know that "we have not forgotten about them" and sang the song Hind's Hall, which criticizes Israeli military actions and which is inspired both by the case of Hind Rajab, killed in Gaza in January 2024 at the age of five, and by the protest of students at Columbia University, who renamed Hamilton Hall in honor of the little girl.
On September 5, 2026, during his second concert appearance, Macklemore reiterated his support for Palestine and addressed Jewish members of the audience: "Criticizing Israel, criticizing apartheid, being against genocide is in no way a criticism of you. My message is one of peace, of love; for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and equality."
The Israeli American Council, an organization that seeks to unite and strengthen the Israeli American community, had however launched a petition calling for Macklemore's exclusion from the remaining stages of Ed Sheeran's Loop tour and accused him of using the show to "promote a partisan political agenda".
In a statement, where he defined the rapper's statements as inappropriate and out of context, he declared: "It's an Ed Sheeran concert, not a political rally or a protest."
The Council had also asked Sheeran to clarify whether "the rapper's political speech, the images he projected on the big screens and the choice to sing Hind's Hall had been approved in advance".
He was then echoed by both the group Stop Antisemitism and the singer Pink who, on social media, explained that she did not want censorship of an artist, but that she claimed the freedom to say "as a Jewish mother, to be afraid, without being told that our fear is propaganda".
On September 14, the Messina Touring Group, promoter of Sheeran's Loop Tour, confirmed Macklemore's exclusion from the next eight scheduled dates, which will start again on September 19 in Philadelphia.
As the Group explained to Rolling Stone magazine, "the facilities where the concerts will take place made it known that they would not accept Macklemore's inclusion. This would have led to the cancellation of the tour, the impact of which would have been felt by hundreds of thousands of fans."
On September 15, Ed Sheeran responded on Instagram with a lengthy post titled "It's important that I get some facts straight."
He wrote: "I am appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The suffering and pain caused by both sides is a human tragedy. There are too many wars around the world that cause immeasurable pain, and none of them should be tolerated."
According to the singer, Macklemore “asked me to join my tour last year and I accepted, because I respect him as an artist.”
She added that she allowed him to choose the setlist of songs, “like I do with all the supporting artists.”
After the rapper's statements in concert regarding the refusal of US venues to host the artist again, Sheeran explained that "I was told that this position was based on how Macklemore had conveyed part of his message during his performance, rather than on everything that had been said".
However, the artist would have attempted to mediate between the promoters, the owners of the venues and the activists "on both sides".
In the end, however, "the decision of the venue and the promoter was final".
Sheeran added: "Macklemore's decision to stop touring was the promoter's, not mine. I would never disappoint fans who had made plans, nor would I abandon the tour crew and the other artists and musicians who rely on me to work and earn a living."
The previous day, Macklemore had called his position "apolitical", to which Sheeran responded: “I have always used my fame and my music to unite people from all walks of life, and that will never change.
I choose to use my fame and my platform to be a safe place and a refuge, to maintain diplomacy and keep dialogues open, not to close them."
He concluded: “I am not an accomplice. I have my own personal opinions on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to talk about them publicly doesn't mean I don't have them, or that I don't care. Nor does it mean I don't support certain causes in my own way.
I spent this week trying to build bridges, to find a solution and, unfortunately, I couldn't.
I know who I am, both as a person and as an artist, and those who know my heart also know my values."
However, just hours after the singer's statement, Irish musician Aaron Rowe, who was supposed to open the remaining 10 dates of his US tour, announced his withdrawal.
