Antonoff blasts Sheeran over Macklemore fallout, as Macklemore launches ‘Free Palestine’ tour in Dublin

Grammy-winning producer Jack Antonoff has sharply criticised Ed Sheeran for removing rapper Macklemore from his tour. Macklemore, meanwhile, has launched his own “Free Palestine” tour in Dublin, standing firm on his position.

The controversy began in early September, when Macklemore said “Free Palestine” on stage while opening for Ed Sheeran. He was then removed from Sheeran’s Loop Tour.

Antonoff, the producer behind some of Taylor Swift’s biggest hits and lead singer of the band Bleachers, told The Guardian in a recent interview that Sheeran had missed a massive opportunity to stand up to billionaire interests. In his words, no promoter should be allowed to dictate what he can say — if necessary, he would play for free outside.

Antonoff argued that Sheeran should have cancelled the whole tour, played for free outside each venue and raised money, rather than bowing to a billionaire. He said billionaires are constantly telling everyone what to do, so it is time to stand up.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was among a group of NFL team owners who reportedly threatened to bar Sheeran’s stadium performances if Macklemore was included in the lineup. Macklemore has claimed that Sheeran told him Kraft had rallied other stadium owners to oppose allowing the rapper to perform.

Sheeran later addressed the controversy during his Philadelphia tour stop. He said what happened in Israel and at the Nova Music Festival on 7 October was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. He added that what is happening in Gaza is catastrophic, unjustifiable and disproportionate.

Sheeran also said Macklemore’s departure was ultimately a decision made by the concert promoter and venues, not by him. In a lengthy statement shared on Instagram, he said he was appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine and described the suffering on both sides as a human tragedy.

Several other artists scheduled to open for Sheeran, including Finneas, Aaron Rowe and Lukas Graham, dropped out of the tour in solidarity with Macklemore. Antonoff praised Macklemore for speaking out and said saying “free Palestine” is not a strange, uncomfortable or controversial thing, but a deeply human thing. Antonoff, who is Jewish, said he has felt much more emboldened to say it now.

Antonoff’s comments have also drawn criticism. Film critic and Hollywood in Toto founder Christian Toto said Antonoff does not sound well-informed about Middle East politics or his own business. He asked how many workers would lose their jobs if Sheeran scrapped his tour, and how they would get paid on an alternative tour. Toto said Antonoff was making a lazy, thoughtless attack on billionaires in an attempt to curry favour within his industry.

Meanwhile, at the launch of his “Free Palestine” tour in Dublin, Macklemore told the crowd: “I am proud to stand here on stage in solidarity with the Palestinian people. We will continue to fight for collective liberation until our last breath.”

He added that six weeks ago, two words were all it took. In his words, those two words are so threatening to some people that it is easier to silence them than to confront what they actually mean. Somehow, he said, those words have become more controversial than the suffering that made them necessary.

Macklemore’s remarks drew mixed reactions online. Some social media users applauded his outspoken activism, calling him stunning and brave. Others questioned his motives and accused him of being out of touch, with one user calling him so performative and bored. Another critic suggested he should focus on problems closer to home, such as the people on Skid Row in Los Angeles.

According to reports, Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” tour will continue in Paris and London. US dates and locations are expected to be announced at a later date.