Macklemore Removal Roils Ed Sheeran Tour
Openers quit Ed Sheeran dates after Macklemore was removed over pro-Palestine remarks.
22
Articles
18
Sources
Coverage mix
What happened
All four remaining support acts on Ed Sheeran’s North American tour have withdrawn after Macklemore was removed over pro-Palestinian remarks onstage. Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Beoga and Lukas Graham left in solidarity, turning the dispute into a wider test for the tour. The fight centers on who drove the removal: Macklemore says New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and other stadium owners forced the issue, while Sheeran says the promoter made the final call. Kraft said Gillette Stadium would not host Macklemore because of recent conduct and what he called antisemitic rhetoric and imagery. Sheeran’s remaining dates are expected to continue without openers, with replacements still unclear.
Both sides
From the left
Left-leaning accounts cast the dispute as a power fight over pro-Palestinian speech, not just a tour staffing decision. The Guardian put Kraft at the center, saying he “banned Macklemore” and framing the move as billionaire-backed silencing. It also stressed the backlash, arguing the ouster turned into a broader protest for Palestine and against censorship. Sheeran’s neutral posture was portrayed as untenable.
From the right
Right-leaning accounts treated the dispute chiefly as a response to antisemitism, while still tracking censorship claims from Macklemore’s defenders. Breitbart News framed Macklemore’s conduct as “virulently antisemitic,” making the removal a consequence rather than censorship. Fox News highlighted Colin Kaepernick’s accusation of “openly colluding” by Kraft and other owners. The Daily Wire emphasized Kraft’s aid pledge as a bridge-building answer to critics.
Coverage•22 articles — 5 left, 7 center, 10 right
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