Sting says Ed Sheeran’s in ‘difficult dilemma’ amid Macklemore scandal

Sting has said Ed Sheeran is in “a difficult dilemma” amid the continued controversy over Macklemore’s removal from his tour.

Earlier this month, Macklemore announced he had been fired from the British singer-songwriter’s Loop tour over his pro-Palestine comments at an earlier gig. Macklemore claimed that Robert Kraft – the CEO of Kraft Group who owns Gillette Stadium – personally called Sheeran to say he would not be allowed to perform at the venue, while Sheeran later responded by stating he would not be drawn into a public debate about the Gaza war and that it was “the promoter’s decision” to remove Macklemore.

The fallout continued when Sheeran’s other opening acts withdrew, while protesters gathered outside his first Macklemore-less concert last week.

During an appearance on Sky News and introduced as an artist who has “never shied away from talking about politics”, Sting was asked whether there is a fine line between censorship and a venue exercising its right to stop shows.

“There’s a very, very obvious distinction between hate speech – with everyone abhors – and legitimate political criticism,” Sting replied. “The latter is something [that is] one of our rights as a democracy. In a functioning democracy, you have to be able to take political criticism in a public forum. That is part of the deal.”

Asked if he “feels” for Sheeran amid the ongoing saga, Sting said: “It’s a difficult dilemma that he’s in.”

Sting has been involved in social and political causes for decades, using his platform to raise awareness for global famine and deforestation, and famously sang on Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” in 1984. In recent years he has campaigned for drug decriminalisation, and, in 2018, for a second vote on Brexit. In 2011, he cancelled a concert in Astana, Kazakhstan after being informed by Amnesty International of concerns over the rights of Kazakh oil and gas workers and their families.

Returning to the stage on 19 September, Sheeran read a prepared statement from an autocue, declaring: “I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes. I’m so, so sorry. I don’t want to disappoint fans. I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.”

He continued: “What happened in Israel, and at the music festival on October 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilian loss and loss of children’s lives. And the systemic injustice we’re seeing unfolding in the West Bank cannot be overlooked.”

He also said that he went ahead with the show – despite backlash and the exodus of his opening acts – to honour his commitment to his fans, adding that it is “completely central to who” he is.

Just hours earlier, Saturday Night Live UK mocked Sheeran in a sketch, which depicted the singer as “sitting on the fence” as war broke out between humans and artificially intelligent robots. “I don’t like to take sides. I don’t want to alienate any of my fans – humans or robots,” cast member Annabel Marlow said as Sheeran, complete with ginger hair, guitar and tattoos.

Sheeran’s on-stage statement later drew backlash itself, with singer Charlotte Church condemning him at one of her own gigs on Monday (21 September).

“Whilst he has made millions and has an enormous following, he has an enormous platform to do real good in the world,” she said. “He chose consumerism and capitalism over doing the right thing. Ed Sheeran, we’re watching you. Free Palestine.”

Meanwhile, Piers Morgan said that he had “bowed to the mob” during his latest concert.

“I agree with Ed Sheeran’s overview of the Israel/Hamas war (Oct 7 terrible, Israel response disproportionate) but I wish he hadn’t bowed to the mob and felt forced to say it publicly, especially reading it off an autocue like some bullied puppet,” Morgan wrote on X. “He needs better advisors.”