Ed Sheeran under fire for removing Macklemore from tour over Palestine statement
Bluesky users debate whether the artist's silence amounts to complicity after supporting act was dropped.
What to know
- Macklemore was removed from Ed Sheeran's tour after making statements on Palestine; Sheeran claims to stay out of politics.
- Robert Kraft and allied venue owners reportedly orchestrated the pressure campaign to remove Macklemore from the lineup.
- Debate centers on whether Sheeran's inaction constitutes complicity and a political choice, or whether tour logistics and contractual obligations explain his position.
- Commenters dispute whether artists can claim neutrality on issues framed as moral rather than political.
The dispute Whether Sheeran is primarily responsible as a coward who chose profit over friendship, or whether venue owners and tour logistics impose constraints that make his position understandable despite its moral cost. · positions read across 152 posts and comments
Sheeran is a coward who abandoned his friend and chose money over principle.
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“He folded in front of what should have been an easy choice to stand up for free speech. What a coward”
@kryspee.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
Inaction on political issues is itself a political act; neutrality is impossible.
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“When you stay silent, you are compliant with the bad guys (this time Netanyahu/Israel).”
@lechterdetector.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
Robert Kraft and venue owners, not Sheeran, bear primary responsibility.
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“Robert Kraft should be the focus of all this. Ed doesn't get a pass for fumbling the whole thing, but this was Kraft and his other venue owning cronies that got together.”
@jupiterdi.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
Tour complexity and contractual obligations make Sheeran's position understandable.
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“People don't understand how major tours work. They are massive logistical challenges with contracts covering everything down to the catering. Ed can't just stop for any reason without being sued down to the nub.”
@lamegandalf.bsky.social · Bluesky ↗
Ed Sheeran Recording artist and tour headlinerMacklemore Supporting act and rapper
Robert Kraft Venue owner and organizer of pressure campaignMarina Purkiss Bluesky commentator
How it unfolded 4 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump postscomments
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4
Commenters invoke political philosophy on neutrality
Multiple commenters argue that choosing not to act is itself a political choice, citing neutrality as impossible and drawing parallels to complicity with injustice.
“To claim that one is "apolitical" is itself a political act. There is no shield behind which one can claim exemption.”
— @bicklepentameter.bsky.social -
Now's a good time to remember Kraft is in the Trump Pedo Files.
2 more of the top 3 · 139 posts in this stretch
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I saw a video analysis of this over on the other socials. He could have still said "I don't do politics" (even if it's BS) and stood with Macklemore. "That's my friend and I'm sticking by him. We all play or we walk." One show missed at most. But nope. He did the dumb thing. Sucks to suck.
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Sheeran will be the last artist to give another artist a platform to express his political views when on tour. Too costly to risk the livelihoods of everyone involved. How many people are boycotting the stadiums? Billionaires got what they want and everyone is blaming the artist. Win-Win!
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Commenters debate artist accountability and tour logistics
Responses split between those viewing Sheeran as a coward for abandoning Macklemore and those noting the contractual complexity of major tours, where cancellations threaten hundreds of jobs and incur legal liability.
“People don't understand how major tours work. They are massive logistical challenges with contracts covering everything down to the catering.”
— @lamegandalf.bsky.social -
If you're a Patriots fan, just give up your season tickets and don't support those spineless Owners. The same goes to others that are following the same pathetic boycott.
2 more of the top 3 · 7 posts in this stretch
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Sometimes ppl need a wake-up call...I'm sure this was his. When you stay silent, you are compliant with the bad guys (this time Netanyahu/Israel). Younger gens like Ed need to imprint this in their brains.
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If Ed was non political as he maintains, he should have simply stood by his colleague, because he gave way to the pressure, that was an act of compliance and therefore political
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2
Robert Kraft identified as primary architect of removal
Bluesky commenters shift focus to venue owner Robert Kraft and allied promoters, arguing they orchestrated the pressure campaign rather than Sheeran acting independently.
“Robert Kraft should be the focus of all this. Ed doesn't get a pass for fumbling the whole thing, but this was Kraft and his other venue owning cronies that got together.”
— @jupiterdi.bsky.social -
Robert Kraft should be the focus of all this. Ed doesn’t get a pass for fumbling the whole thing, but this was Kraft and his other venue owning cronies that got together.
2 more of the top 3 · 5 posts in this stretch
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Canadians agree that standing up, even if it costs you, is the only way to go.
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It's amazing that Ed Sheeran gets villified but Alex Ovechkin gets a free pass.
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Marina Purkiss criticizes Sheeran's silence as complicity
A Bluesky post by Marina Purkiss argues that Sheeran's "nice guy image has collapsed" not for failing to speak on Palestine himself, but for allowing someone else to be silenced for doing so. She frames his inaction as a political act requiring him to take a stand.
“His nice guy image has collapsed — It's not that Ed Sheeran didn't speak up on 🇵🇸, it's that he allowed the silencing of someone who did…”
— @marinapurkiss.bsky.social -
T
🇬🇧 🗣️ @marinapurkiss.bsky.social: “His nice guy image has collapsed — It’s not that Ed Sheeran didn’t speak up on 🇵🇸, it’s that he allowed the silencing of someone who did… If you don’t have a position on this now you’re going to lose respect. He has F.U. money to take a stand.”
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What people are saying 13 voices from 1 site · best of 152 · verbatim
- Did Sheeran actively negotiate to keep Macklemore on the tour, or did he immediately capitulate to Kraft's pressure?
- How many other venue owners joined Kraft's coordinated effort to demand the removal?
- What precedent exists for how other major artists have handled similar political pressure from promoters?
- Sep 21
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Kraft & his allied stadium / venue owners are far more culpable. Sheeran should have consulted with his band & all other performers, researched how The Beatles handled similar situations before accepting Kraft's demands. There are likely 1,000s of paychecks involved in the tour.
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Can we please, in the same breath, talk about the stadium owners who lit the effing fire? Compared to the Sheeran pile-on they are getting a complete pass.
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Ed said he did not get involved in politics. He just plays his music. Doesn't he understand that when he allowed someone else to dictate his concert lineup based on their right wing political views, he,very much, got involved with politics!
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M
Like George Clooney. His statement supporting Mark Ruffalo was such a weasel move in that he didn’t mention the subject, but you know what it also didn’t do? Generate backlash. Ed could’ve done that. Instead he both sided a genocide
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Robert Kraft's silencing of NFL athletes for taking a stand against racism wasn't enough to stop Ed from playing Kraft's wedding and saying afterwards he's a lovely man who he shares a lovely relationship with. Men like Kraft are directing funding this genocide given the politicians he funds.
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Why not both? We can walk and chew gum at the same time
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Rush: If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.
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Russians shouldn't be playing in NHL. But then again the NHL has gone all in with the Betting Houses.
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Exactly. Many use the argument that an artist should not need to speak up about politics. But that's not the issue here. His support act spoke up and got SILENCED and boycotted for speaking up about GENOCIDE. That goes beyond politics and hits morality.
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I forget which novel, but CS Lewis wrote that (paraphrased from memory) "most times don't require people to take sides for or against anything, but there are rare times in which there is no middle ground, and one must choose a side." Sheerhan missed the chance history gave him.
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Never was a Sheeran fan. Have always thought his music was uninspired and cookie cutter (like it was written by AI even though I know it wasn't). Never disliked him as a person though until now. He folded in front of what should have been an easy choice to stand up for free speech. What a coward
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Some guy of mixed Northern Irish Protestant and Republic Catholic whose family left for England and who identifies culturally as Irish appears to know nothing about oppression. Say it ain't so Paddy.
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B
bsky.app/profile/benn... Zionist Anglo-American proxy wars ISIS 🇮🇱 AZOV 🇺🇦