Image source, Getty ImagesByMark SavageMusic correspondent
- Published14 minutes ago
Ed Sheeran has posted a long statement on Instagram, saying it was not his decision to drop Macklemore from his current US tour.
The US rapper – whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty – was ejected from the line-up after making pro-Palestinian statements at two dates in New Jersey.
His comments drew criticism from Jewish groups, after which some venues put pressure on the tour promoters to have him removed from the line-up.
In his statement, external, Sheeran said he had spoken with the venues “at length all week to try and build a bridge” – but the promoters, Messina Touring Group, had ultimately decided to remove Macklemore from the bill.
“Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine,” he wrote. “Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me.
“I would never let down the fans who had made plans, nor would I abandon the touring crew and the other support acts and musicians who rely on me for work and to make a living.”
The star also attempted to explain his decision not to become embroiled in political issues.
“I am not complicit,” he wrote. “I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn’t mean I don’t have them, and it doesn’t mean I don’t care.
“Nor does it mean I don’t support causes in my own, personal way.”
He continued: “There is a reason I do not use my professional platform for politics – my audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds.
“Those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum. I respect Macklemore’s strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes.
“However, there is room for multiple approaches to the same end: Peace.
“I choose to use my fame and platform to be a place of safety and sanctuary, to maintain diplomacy and keep conversations open, not closed. If we only focus on shouting the loudest, nothing will ever change. There are different approaches to being an advocate for change.”
Hind’s Hall performance
The controversy began on 4 September, when Macklemore performed at Ed Sheeran’s concert at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
He told the audience: “A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so that I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very, very dear to my heart: Free Palestine.”
He then performed his song Hind’s Hall, which is dedicated to pro-Palestinian protestors at Columbia University and condemns Israel’s military action in Gaza, while video footage of the devastation in Gaza was shown on the big screen.
Some of the audience cheered – but there was almost immediate criticism online.
The Israeli American Council launched a petition demanding his removal from the tour; while the campaign group StopAntisemitism said the musician had ambushed fans with propaganda – a claim that was amplified by the pop star Pink, who reposted it on Instagram.
The next night, Macklemore returned to the same stage and directly addressed his “Jewish brothers and sisters” in the audience.
“Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, is in no way a criticism of you,” he said, adding that he wanted people in Gaza and the West Bank to know they had not been forgotten.
Israel rejects allegations of genocide. It says its troops conduct self-defence operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank in accordance with international law.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to an unprecedented Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.
During Israel’s military campaign in Gaza more than 73,780 people have been killed, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN.
‘Most successful tour’
After days of press coverage, Macklemore announced on Monday that he had been dropped from the line-up.
In a statement on Instagram, he said the boycott had been organised by Robert Kraft – the billionaire owner of the Gilette Stadium in Massachusetts.
Kraft – who once hired Ed Sheeran to play at his wedding – confirmed he’d made the decision to bar Macklemore, saying his venue would not “provide a platform for hate speech,” accusing the rapper of “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric”.
“I agree with Macklemore, too many lives have been lost and there has been too much suffering, but only sharing selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas is not honest and only advances more divisiveness and hate,” Kraft said.
However, he did not address the claim that he’d asked other venues to put pressure on the tour.
Tour promoter, Messina Touring Group, told Rolling Stone magazine that it had been told by venues that they would not allow Macklemore to perform, “which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans.”
In his statement, Macklemore said he empathised with the difficult position Sheeran had been put in, but criticised the English singer for not taking a stance.
“Taking a side can cost you. Money, brand deals, sponsorships, festivals, private shows, relationships and access. I’ve lost all of those things. But there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed,” he wrote.
He also emphasised that, although he was only able to complete two shows on the tour, if his words succeeded in “turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I’ve ever been on.”