Antonoff Blasts Sheeran Over Dropping Macklemore on Tour
WHO:
The Hollywood Reporter - Jack Antonoff said he had made pro-Palestinian statements during his performances.
The Hollywood Reporter - Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, and several other NFL team owners were involved in the threat against Macklemore’s tour participation.
The Hollywood Reporter - Sheeran’s tour openers Finneas, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe left the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
Rolling Stone Music - Jack Antonoff, the Bleachers frontman, criticized Ed Sheeran over Macklemore’s removal from a tour.
Billboard - Jack Antonoff criticized Ed Sheeran over the Macklemore tour dispute.
Rolling Stone Music - The article describes a billionaire as pressuring Sheeran to drop Macklemore; it does not identify the billionaire.
Billboard - The article refers to a billionaire but does not identify the person.
WHAT:
The Hollywood Reporter - Jack Antonoff said Ed Sheeran “missed a massive, beautiful opportunity” and urged him to “stand the fuck up.”
The Hollywood Reporter - Antonoff said he would play for free outside venues and raise money rather than let a promoter dictate what he could say.
The Hollywood Reporter - Antonoff said he did not want to meet with Live Nation, criticizing the company for treating live music as a “free-market piece of shit.”
Vulture - Sheeran’s concerts at Gillette Stadium were later canceled because of severe weather.
Vulture - Antonoff said he felt “way more emboldened” to express support for Palestine after the controversy.
The Hollywood Reporter - Macklemore said Sheeran’s “typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before” and that Sheeran “couldn’t get past his public facing, ‘I don’t take sides.’”
The Hollywood Reporter - At a Philadelphia concert, Sheeran said the events in Israel and at the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7 were “horrific,” and described what was happening in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate.”
The Hollywood Reporter - Antonoff also criticized Live Nation’s ticketing practices, saying wealthy buyers could get tickets while others faced a “demoralizing online experience.”
The Hollywood Reporter - Macklemore announced a Free Palestine tour; its first show was in Dublin, with the final show scheduled for London on Oct. 30.
Rolling Stone Music - Antonoff said Sheeran should have canceled his tour rather than bowing to pressure to drop Macklemore.
Billboard - Antonoff said he would have handled the backlash to Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” protests differently and urged Sheeran to “Stand the F–k Up.”
Rolling Stone Music - The dispute concerned Macklemore’s comments about Israel and Gaza.
WHERE:
Vulture - Antonoff changed a song lyric to include “Free Palestine” during a Berkeley concert.
WHY:
Rolling Stone Music - The reported pressure campaign against Sheeran was connected to Macklemore’s Israel-Gaza comments.
Billboard - The backlash related to Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” protests.
HOW:
Vulture - Antonoff said he had supported Palestine before the controversy and felt “way more emboldened” to express that support afterward.
Vulture - Antonoff changed a song lyric to include “Free Palestine” during a Berkeley concert.
Rolling Stone Music - The article characterizes Sheeran’s decision as bowing to a pressure campaign to remove Macklemore from the tour.
Billboard - Antonoff said he would have responded to the backlash differently; the article does not specify how.
(UPDATED October 27, 2026 10:05 UTC)
Jack Antonoff criticized Ed Sheeran over Macklemore’s removal from Sheeran’s tour, saying Sheeran missed a “massive, beautiful opportunity” and should have stood up to pressure tied to Macklemore’s comments on Israel and Gaza. Sheeran said the October 7 attacks in Israel were horrific and described the situation in Gaza as catastrophic, unjustifiable and disproportionate, while Macklemore said Sheeran struggled to move beyond his public stance of not taking sides. Antonoff said the controversy made him feel more emboldened to support Palestine, and he changed a song lyric to include “Free Palestine” during a Berkeley concert.
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(UPDATED October 27, 2026 08:06 UTC)
Jack Antonoff criticized Ed Sheeran for dropping Macklemore from his tour amid pressure tied to Macklemore’s comments on Israel and Gaza, saying Sheeran should have canceled the tour instead. Macklemore said Sheeran struggled to move beyond his usual apolitical stance, while Sheeran later described the Nova Music Festival attacks as horrific and the situation in Gaza as catastrophic, unjustifiable and disproportionate. Sheeran’s openers Finneas, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe left in solidarity with Macklemore, who launched a Free Palestine tour, and Antonoff said he would perform for free and raise money rather than let promoters dictate his speech.
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(UPDATED October 27, 2026 04:08 UTC)
Jack Antonoff criticized Ed Sheeran over Macklemore’s removal from Sheeran’s tour, saying Sheeran should have canceled the tour rather than bowing to pressure linked to Macklemore’s comments on Israel and Gaza. Macklemore said Sheeran’s usual apolitical stance was challenged, while Sheeran called the events in Israel and at the Nova Music Festival horrific and described conditions in Gaza as catastrophic, unjustifiable and disproportionate. Finneas, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe left the tour in solidarity with Macklemore, who launched a Free Palestine tour that is scheduled to conclude in London on Oct.
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(UPDATED October 26, 2026 22:08 UTC)
Bleachers frontman Jack Antonoff criticized Ed Sheeran over Macklemore’s removal from a tour, saying Sheeran should have canceled it rather than bowing to pressure. The dispute stemmed from backlash over Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian protests and comments about Israel and Gaza. Antonoff said he would have handled the backlash differently and urged Sheeran to stand up, while the person described as pressuring Sheeran was not identified.