Ed Sheeran Says Macklemore's Tour Exit Was the Promoter's Call: "Not My Decision"

Macklemore is no longer opening for Ed Sheeran, and Sheeran wants everyone to know he didn’t make that call. In an Instagram statement posted Tuesday, Sheeran said,“Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine,”adding that Macklemore’s contract was with the promoter rather than with him. He also made clear he’s“not complicit,”writing that he has his own personal views on the conflict and that choosing not to speak publicly doesn’t mean he doesn’t care.

The controversy started earlier this month during two shows at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, when Macklemore told the crowd“Free Palestine”from the stage. The Israeli American Council circulated a petition demanding Sheeran drop him, and P!NK, Boy George, and Robert Kraft all voiced criticism. Sheeran said he spent a week in talks with venues, promoters, activists, and Kraft trying to find a resolution before Macklemore ultimately left the tour.

Macklemore’s take on the fallout is worth hearing too. He said the reaction was about the size of the platform he was standing on, not the substance of what he said. That’s the heart of the debate fans are having right now: does a stadium mic carry more freedom or more restrictions than a small-club one? So tell us, should artists stick to the music on tour, or is a massive stage the exact place to say the big thing?