Macklemore's Gaza Row Splits Britons: Public Divided Over His Politics and Ed Sheeran Tour Axe

It's been more than two weeks since Macklemore took the stage at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and uttered two words that became central to the controversy surrounding his removal from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour: 'Free Palestine.'

The fallout continues—as Macklemore lost the gig, Sheeran claimed that he lost his front act, supporting band, and even some family and friends. Now, Britons are weighing in but the results are quite divisive.

Half of Britons Reject Pro-Palestine Stage Comments

YouGov surveyed Britons regarding their stance on the Macklemore and Sheeran incident. None of the four questions asked received a majority response.

The clearest result came when respondents were asked whether it was acceptable or unacceptable for Macklemore to make pro-Palestine comments and show images of Gaza on stage during a concert. Fifty percent said it was unacceptable, while only 37% said it was acceptable.

On 4 and 5 September 2026, Macklemore took the stage and said: 'One of the reasons why I wanted to come on this tour was because I wanted to stand up here, on stages and stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine.'

'I said Free Palestine. I want those words to be loud and clear, so the people from Gaza, all the way to the occupied West Bank, know that we have not forgotten them,' Macklemore continued. Following these remarks, several venues told Sheeran's tour promoter they would not allow shows to go ahead with Macklemore on the bill, leading to his removal from the remaining dates.

Britons Divided Over Macklemore Being Dropped

Some 41% of Britons believe Sheeran is right in dropping Macklemore from his tour, while 36% think he is wrong. But Sheeran was still left without opening acts during his 19 September 2026 concert as the remaining artists quit in solidarity with Macklemore.

However, more Britons, 43%, say it is unacceptable for venues to block Macklemore for future shows, while 40% said it was acceptable. Still, 49% said that music concerts are not the right place to make political statements, while 41% believe it is an acceptable platform.

'Naturally, the results are partisan, with Greens in particular taking Macklemore's side, alongside Labour and Lib Dem voters, while Tories and Reform UK voters generally taking the opposing view,' wrote Matthew Smith, YouGov's head of data journalism.

Political Delineations

For example, on the question of whether it was acceptable for Macklemore to make his pro-Palestine speech during the concert, 69% of Greens said it was acceptable compared to 55% from Labour and 47% from Liberal Democrats. In contrast, 79% of Reform UK and 78% of Conservatives said it was unacceptable.

Further, 70% of Greens and 52% of both Labour and Liberal Democrats believed it was wrong of Sheeran to axe Macklemore from his tour. But on the other side, 70% of Reform UK and 68% of Conservatives said it was within Sheeran's rights.

In the same way, the majority of Reform UK (63%) and Conservatives (60%) said it was acceptable for stadium owners to block Macklemore from future shows. Greens (67%), Labour (54%) and Liberal Democrats (57%) found it unacceptable.

Finally, on whether artists should make political statements during concerts, 79% of Reform UK and 75% of Conservatives said this is unacceptable. Greens (67%), Labour (59%) and Liberal Democrats (56%) consider this acceptable.