Jack Antonoff issued a public rebuke of Ed Sheeran’s handling of Macklemore’s removal from the Loop Tour, which occurred following threats from NFL team owners including Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Antonoff, who has made pro-Palestinian statements during his own performances, argued in an interview published this week that Sheeran should have rejected external pressure rather than accommodating it.
Antonoff suggested that Sheeran had an opportunity to make a principled stand by canceling the tour and performing free concerts outside venues instead of allowing wealthy interests to dictate artistic decisions. He characterized such expressions as fundamentally human rather than controversial, and framed the broader issue as part of a systemic problem where billionaires exert control over public discourse and decision-making.
The controversy surrounding Macklemore’s removal prompted multiple artists to exit the tour in solidarity. Finneas, Lukas Graham, and Aaron Rowe all departed the bill. Sheeran addressed the matter during a Philadelphia concert, acknowledging both the historical suffering of Jewish people and the situation in Gaza. Macklemore subsequently launched his own Free Palestine tour, with performances beginning this week in Dublin and concluding on October 30 in London.
Antonoff also expanded his criticism to Live Nation, the live music company he has previously targeted. He expressed frustration that the company misunderstands his concerns, noting that corporate meetings do not address his fundamental objection to the commercialization of live music and the inequality in ticket access based on consumer wealth.
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