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Ed Sheeran sends message to fans ahead of next leg of tour… after Macklemore was dropped over pro-Palestine comments
Ed Sheeran thanked fans in Tampa as he wrapped the North American stadium leg of his tour and prepared to travel to South America. The message comes amid continued criticism over the removal of rapper Macklemore, who had been booked as an opening act, after speaking in support of Palestinians during concerts.
Sheeran has a US show in Yellow Springs on 9 November, then is due to perform in Chile, Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil before ending the tour in Mexico City on 11 December. Macklemore was dropped after stadium owner Robert Kraft accused him of hate speech; he had spoken about freedom for Palestinians and performed his protest song “Hind’s Hall”. Other opening acts and Sheeran’s backing band left in solidarity, and Sheeran later apologised for mistakes in handling the dispute, describing it as a debate about free speech.
In short
- Sheeran thanked Tampa fans as his tour heads to South America.
- Macklemore was dropped after pro-Palestine remarks at Sheeran’s shows.
- Sheeran apologised for how he handled the fallout.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A venue or artist has a responsibility to protect audiences and staff from speech reasonably judged to be hateful, and may choose performers whose public conduct fits the event’s standards. From this perspective, dropping Macklemore was a legitimate response to concerns about his remarks and their impact, even if others disagreed with the decision.
The case against
Artists should be able to express political views, including support for Palestinians, without losing work unless their words clearly cross into hate or incitement. From this perspective, removing Macklemore for his comments risks suppressing legitimate advocacy, and the solidarity shown by other performers reflects concern about protecting free expression.
Explained simply
Ed Sheeran is a British singer-songwriter whose stadium tours feature opening acts before his own performance. Macklemore, the American rapper behind songs including “Thrift Shop”, had been booked to open some shows and used concerts to speak in support of Palestinians.
The dispute centres on the line between political protest and hate speech, and on who decides where that line falls. It has also raised questions about free speech and the choices artists face when working with venues and other performers.