Ed Sheeran Leaves Tour Controversy Unmentioned After Macklemore's 'Free Palestine' Declaration

British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran conspicuously avoided addressing the escalating fallout surrounding the dismissal of American rapper Macklemore during a marathon three-hour performance in North Carolina.

Performing before tens of thousands of fans at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte on Saturday, 17 October 2026, the 35-year-old superstar delivered a 29-song set punctuated by nearly an hour of intimate personal storytelling without once referencing the high-profile political dispute that has roiled his nationwide tour.

The concert came four weeks after tour promoter Messina Touring Group dropped Macklemore from support dates following his pro-Palestinian remarks at MetLife Stadium, an exclusion that prompted venue bans by billionaire stadium owners and triggered solidarity walkouts from fellow opening acts, including Finneas, Lukas Graham, and Beoga.

While Sheeran previously addressed the bitter controversy during a September concert in Philadelphia, admitting to personal mistakes and describing the humanitarian situation in Gaza as catastrophic, his appearance in Charlotte struck a decidedly neutral tone.

Acknowledging only that he had been in the news frequently over the past month, the Grammy-winning performer pivoted away from global politics to deliver an overarching message celebrating cultural unity through live music.

Ed Sheeran Talks About Charlotte but Not Macklemore

Writing for The Charlotte Observer, Théoden Janes reported that Sheeran performed 29 songs while spending close to an hour speaking between numbers.

The reviewer described an evening filled with stories about Sheeran's upbringing in Suffolk, his early performances at London open-mic nights and his songwriting career. Sheeran also reflected on the loss of his friend Jamal Edwards, who died in 2022.

His anecdotes included several connections to Charlotte. Sheeran said he slept in an Airstream at the stadium on Friday night before running around the city the following morning.

He also mentioned his wife, Cherry Seaborn, who attended Duke University. According to the review, North Carolina country singer Luke Combs called earlier that day to remind Sheeran he was performing at the Carolina Panthers' home stadium.

Around 75 minutes into the performance, Sheeran acknowledged that he had 'been in the news quite a lot in the last month.'

Instead of discussing Macklemore's removal, he continued with a story about copyright litigation, messages from Edwards, and his song 'Old Phone.' The review gave no indication that Sheeran explained why he didn't revisit the dispute.

Why Macklemore Was Dropped From Ed Sheeran's Tour

The controversy began after Macklemore declared 'Free Palestine' during a performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 4 September.

His remarks prompted objections from venue owners, including New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whose company owns Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts.

Kraft defended excluding Macklemore from the stadium's scheduled concerts, citing concerns about rhetoric and imagery he considered offensive to Jewish audiences. Macklemore rejected accusations of antisemitism and maintained that criticism of Israel should not be equated with hatred towards Jewish people.

On 14 September, tour promoter Messina Touring Group confirmed Macklemore would no longer perform on the remaining support dates.

The promoter told Rolling Stone that venue owners had warned concerts could not proceed with Macklemore on the bill.

In a statement on 15 September, Sheeran stressed that the promoter, not he, made the decision. He said he tried to resolve the dispute with venue owners but was unsuccessful.

The fallout extended to other performers. Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Irish group Beoga withdrew from scheduled appearances in solidarity with Macklemore.

Ed Sheeran's Philadelphia Remarks Contrast With Charlotte Concert

During his Philadelphia concert on 19 September, Sheeran spent nearly four minutes addressing the controversy and acknowledged making 'mistakes.'

He condemned the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023 while describing the suffering in Gaza as catastrophic and unjustifiable.

'This is a humanitarian issue, and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore,' Sheeran told the audience, according to the BBC.

His Charlotte performance emphasised something different. Towards the end of the concert, Sheeran spoke about people from different backgrounds and beliefs coming together through live music.

Janes interpreted the message as particularly meaningful in light of the September controversy, although Sheeran did not explicitly link his remarks to Macklemore.

The singer's official tour schedule lists upcoming performances in Arlington, Texas, on 24 October and Tampa, Florida, on 7 November. The tour is scheduled to conclude in Mexico City on 11 December.

In Charlotte, the evening centred on music and personal storytelling. Sheeran's message of unity remained prominent, even as the dispute over political expression on his tour went unmentioned.