Jack Antonoff Says Ed Sheeran Should Have Canceled His Tour After Macklemore Was Dropped
· Thought Catalog
Updated 37 minutes ago, October 28, 2026
Jack Antonoff says Ed Sheeran should have canceled his Loop Tour after Macklemore was dropped over his support for Palestinians, and taken his concerts outside the venues to play for free instead.
In a profile published October 25, Antonoff proposed canceling the tour and using those free performances to raise money: “rather than let a f***ing billionaire tell you what to do.”
“The reason it’s not an anomaly or niche issue is because we all live in a world where billionaires are constantly telling us what to do. So stand the f*** up!” he said.
Macklemore’s removal followed 2 September performances at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where he shouted “Free Palestine” and performed “Hind’s Hall,” his protest song. Sheeran said his tour partners dropped Macklemore under pressure from Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft and others ahead of upcoming stadium dates. The 2 Gillette shows were ultimately canceled over weather concerns.
The departures spread through the tour’s lineup. Fellow opening acts Finneas O’Connell, Aaron Rowe and Lukas Graham withdrew, along with Sheeran’s backing band, Beoga. Sheeran resumed the tour with a new backing band in Philadelphia on September 19.
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Addressing the controversy there, Sheeran acknowledged that he was making mistakes and apologized. He said continuing was about keeping his commitment to fans and described his music as a space where everyone should feel welcome.
“This has put me in the middle of an important, passionate argument about freedom of speech on the most complex issue on the planet,” Sheeran said.
Antonoff, a Jewish artist who’s spoken in support of Palestinians during Bleachers’ tours, also framed the dispute as a question of how much control promoters and record companies should have over artists’ speech.
“They’re going to let some f**ing promoter tell me what I can say? Don’t book me. I’ll play for free outside,” he said.
Macklemore has since launched a Free Palestine Tour. Explaining it, he said: “There has been a collective awakening around Palestinian liberation, the power of billionaires that try to censor that call, and what we expect from artists right now.”
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