It’s been just about a week since Macklemore did his opening act Free Palestine sermon on Ed Sheeran’s tour. Since then, other artists appearing on the Loop tour, have decided to go full on cancel culture and step away.

Among those who’ve exited are Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and even Sheeran’s longtime backing band, Beoga, according to this. A statement from Sheeran:

Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me.

There is a reason I do not use my professional platform for politics – my audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds. Those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum. I respect Macklemore’s strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes. However, there is room for multiple approaches to the same end: peace.

I choose to use my fame and platform to be a place of safety and sanctuary, to maintain diplomacy and keep conversations open, not closed. If we only focus on shouting the loudest, nothing will ever change. There are different approaches to being an advocate for change.”-Ed Sheeran

Macklemore has every right to say Free Palestine.

Robert Kraft has every right to allow or disallow whatever performances he wants in the stadiums that he owns.

But let’s be real: Macklemore frankly isn’t talented enough to be controversial.

— CJ Pearson (@Cjpearson) September 17, 2026

Macklemore was told not to do this in his contract. By the concert promoter after Night 1 at MetLife stadium, he was warned. He did it anyway on Night 2.

Sheeran’s statement was not enough for some radio stations, who have chosen to pull him from their rotation. Just yesterday, an Irish radio station. Enter Bay Broadcasting group program director, Dave Kelly:

We acknowledge his own explanation of the circumstances surrounding recent events. As an independent Irish-owned radio station, however, we believe it is important to listen to our audience and to stand alongside Irish artists who have made what is undoubtedly a significant professional decision based on their own convictions.

Ultimately, our position is a simple one. We believe in peace, humanity and respect, and in the right of people and artists to express and act upon their sincerely held views. In light of the strength of feeling expressed by our listeners and the decisions taken by Irish artists involved in the tour, we believe removing Ed Sheeran’s music from our playlist is the appropriate decision for Classic Hits Radio at this time.”-Dave Kelly, Bay Broadcasting

Peace, humanity and respect, eh? Yeah. Okay, Mr. Kelly.

Man it's a good thing he didn't parasail into a music festival and start shooting people, that may be a bridge too far… oh wait

— qarper (@qarper) September 18, 2026

They acknowledge Sheeran’s own explanation of these circumstances. But, they don’t agree that music should be apolitical. Ed Sheeran is the headliner on this tour. Macklemore was sharing his stage. He was a supporting act. My guess is the people who shelled out money to see Ed Sheeran couldn’t care less about Macklemore and his recent catalogue of crap rap. He had two good songs years ago.

And @edsheeran considers Macklemore a friend! With friends like Macklemore, who needs enemies?

— Peter (@PJB613) September 18, 2026

I am not shocked a radio group pulls this nonsense. As a radio exile, I would venture to say that this radio station did not pull Ed Sheeran from their playlists because of “the listeners”. For the longest time, corporate radio, (with the exception of talk radio), has never been about the listeners. It has also not been about the personalities behind the mic, either, who, for the most part, unless you’re syndicated (and you follow the script of the left in between music sets), get paid peanuts. Corporate radio has largely been about revenue and advertisers. Some “consultant”, somewhere, advised this program director to pull Ed Sheeran’s music from the airwaves because of dollar signs. The tragedy here is, either way, if the station loses money, the on-air personalities (regardless of political stance), will be the first to go-not these numbnuts at the top making these decisions.

All of above is beside the point, but it begs the question of how politically-driven rhetoric drives revenue in arenas that are not designed to be politically driven. How an escape to music has turned on its side and not become something that unites people but divides people. The left infects and ruins everything it touches, including friendships.

If Macklemore had any decency (he doesn’t) he would be telling everyone to keep supporting Ed Sheeran since Ed is the one who gave this nobody the opportunity to play stadiums. They are all ungrateful shitty people

— i like teslas (@iliketeslas) September 18, 2026

Not wrong. But, radio listeners (if any of you are still out there), you’ve been warned. You will not hear any Ed Sheeran for a while because the program directors are supporting a group that throws gays off buildings, uses innocents as human shields, encourages child marriage and spousal abuse, and believes in public executions. You know? Peace. Humanity. Respect.

Photo Credit: Drew de F Fawkes, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons/Cropped