Paloma Faith questions Ed Sheeran’s politics after Macklemore tour row: ‘Being apolitical is a political act in itself’
Paloma Faith attends the Dangerous Liaisons New York premiere. (Getty/ John Lamparski) (Getty Images)
Paloma Faith has questioned Ed Sheeran’s “political neutrality” after Macklemore said he was removed from Sheeran’s US Loop Tour following pro-Palestine comments, with Sheeran saying the decision was made by the promoter.
Speaking to Channel 4, Faith raised Sheeran’s “political neutrality” while reacting to the dispute. She also said she had previously performed at a concert with Sheeran to raise money for Ukraine.
Macklemore addressed the situation in an Instagram post on Monday, claiming Sheeran and his team had “made the decision to remove” him from the Loop Tour. Sheeran responded on social media on Tuesday, saying Macklemore’s departure from the tour was the promoter’s decision and not his.
What Macklemore and Sheeran have said
The disagreement followed comments Macklemore made on stage during a show at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where he said he wanted people in Gaza and the West Bank to know they had not been forgotten.
The public back-and-forth has played out over several days, with Macklemore’s post followed by Sheeran’s reply disputing who made the call. Faith’s comments added another high-profile voice to the debate, focusing on the idea of “political neutrality” in moments of international crisis.
Support acts drop out of remaining dates
Following Macklemore’s removal, all of the current support acts on Sheeran’s Loop Tour have dropped out of the remaining dates.
The row has also drawn wider celebrity attention. On 8 September, Boy George took aim at Paloma Faith after she showed support for Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” speech. On 16 September, Hannah Einbinder shared a message as controversy mounted over Macklemore’s removal from Sheeran’s “Loop” tour, after he spoke in support of Palestine during two performances in New Jersey in early September.
