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Macklemore dropped from tour as Liam Cunningham criticizes Ed Sheeran
Irish actor and Palestine supporter Liam Cunningham criticized Ed Sheeran after Macklemore was dropped from the remaining U.S. concerts on Sheeran’s tour. Macklemore said the decision followed difficult talks with Sheeran and that some stadium owners did not want him to perform.
After Macklemore announced that he had been dropped from the remaining U.S. concerts on Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour, Liam Cunningham criticized the British singer. Cunningham, an Irish actor and supporter of Palestine, objected to Macklemore no longer performing as the opening act on Sheeran’s tour.
Referring to Sheeran in a post on X, Cunningham said, “We now know who Ed Sheeran is.” In another post, the actor rejected claims that remaining neutral during Israel’s war on Gaza was possible.
“If you find yourself saying ‘I’m not taking sides’ during a genocide, you are, in fact, taking a side. You absolutely are.”
Macklemore’s tour announcement
In a statement on Instagram, Macklemore said Sheeran and his team had decided not to have him perform as the opening act at the remaining U.S. concerts on the tour. The rapper said the decision came after “difficult talks” with Sheeran that lasted a week.
Macklemore said he had been friends with Sheeran for 13 years and had been told that he would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, which is operated by Robert Kraft’s company. He also claimed that some other stadium owners had opposed his participation in the tour.
The rapper had performed before Sheeran’s concerts at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4 and 5. Macklemore also performed “Hind’s Hall,” a song in which he expressed solidarity with Palestine by wearing a keffiyeh, and led chants of “Free Palestine” in front of screens showing footage from Gaza.
Speaking to about 80,000 people at the first concert, Macklemore said he wanted to show that Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank had not been forgotten. At the second concert, he also addressed Jewish audience members, saying that criticizing Israel and opposing what he described as apartheid and genocide did not mean targeting the Jewish people. Macklemore said his message was peace and equal dignity for everyone.
In his announcement that he had been dropped from the tour, Macklemore said neither he nor Sheeran should be seen as the victim of the dispute. He said attention should remain on Palestinians facing death, displacement and hunger.
Cunningham’s support for Palestine
Cunningham has supported Palestine for many years. In April 2024, the actor said he had participated in Palestine solidarity campaigns for 30 to 40 years and criticized public figures who remained silent in the face of Israel’s attacks on Gaza.
In an exclusive interview in December 2024, Cunningham said standing up against injustice outweighed his concerns about harming his acting career. He said attempts to silence him could be effective only if others allowed them to be.
In 2025, the actor also supported the Global Sumud Flotilla initiative, which aims to oppose the blockade of Gaza and establish a humanitarian corridor to the region. Cunningham met activists in Barcelona as the mission prepared to sail for Gaza.
Ed Sheeran has not publicly responded to Cunningham’s criticism.
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