Ed Sheeran's supporting acts quit after Macklemore was dropped from the tour for pro-Palestine comments
Rapper Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour after making pro-Palestine comments during a September 2026 show at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Stadium owner Robert Kraft, citing a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric, pressured the tour promoter to remove Macklemore. In response, all remaining opening acts, Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Beoga, and Lukas Graham, withdrew from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
53
Divergence score
This event sits in the top 3% of divergence this week. 26 outlets covered it, splitting into 24 framing camps across 4 bias groups.
24 camps
4 bias groups
The spectrum · how 26 outlets placed this story
LeftCenterRight
Al Jazeera
CNN
Times of Israel
BBC
NPR
Washington Examiner
Daily Wire
Washington Times
Deutsche Welle
Jerusalem Post
Breitbart
Axios
Globe and Mail
HuffPost
Washington Post
South China Morning Post
ABC News
PBS NewsHour
NBC News
CBS News
The Hill
Reuters
NY Post
Le Monde
AP News
The Atlantic
Supportive of action
Neutral
Dismissive
Critical
Alarmist
International angle
Widest split · the two outlets furthest apart, and who published first
Furthest apart on this story
CNN
Fellow opening acts quit after Ed Sheeran tour drops Macklemore - CNN
tour crisis and free speech chilling effect · neutral
Washington Examiner
Dave Portnoy defends Kraft over Macklemore expulsion: 'He owns the stadium, it's his house'
Kraft defending against antisemitism on his property · positive
First to report
- CBS Newsfirst
- Daily Wire+1.3 h
- Al Jazeera+3.9 h
- Globe and Mail+19.4 h
- NBC News+19.5 h
- Reuters+19.7 h
- Washington Post+21.2 h
- ABC News+22.2 h
- BBC+22.4 h
- Washington Examiner+23.7 h
- Breitbart+24.6 h
- NY Post+26.4 h
By each outlet's earliest publish time in this story. Feeds that index slowly can appear later than they printed.
Headlines that changed · the same article, re-listed with a new headline
Globe and Mail · 2026-09-15 17:42 UTC
Macklemore dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour after pro-Palestinian comments
Globe and Mail · 2026-09-15 20:26 UTC
Ed Sheeran says dropping Macklemore from tour over pro-Palestinian comments was ‘promoter’s decision’
BBC · 2026-09-15 21:09 UTC
Ed Sheeran says it was 'not my decision' to drop Macklemore from tour
PBS NewsHour · 2026-09-16 01:59 UTC
More artists drop out of Ed Sheeran's tour in solidarity with rapper Macklemore - PBS
PBS NewsHour · 2026-09-16 02:35 UTC
More artists drop out of Ed Sheeran's tour in solidarity with rapper Macklemore - pbs.org
+ Show 15 more Show fewer
South China Morning Post · 2026-09-16 03:12 UTC
Ed Sheeran tour in trouble after 4 acts quit in support of Macklemore
Le Monde · 2026-09-16 05:39 UTC
Ed Sheeran's tour in jeopardy after opening acts all quit in support of Macklemore
ABC News · 2026-09-16 10:23 UTC
Ed Sheeran speaks out after Macklemore dropped from tour
Al Jazeera · 2026-09-16 14:57 UTC
The artists who pulled out of Ed Sheeran’s tour over Palestine
PBS NewsHour · 2026-09-16 21:38 UTC
More artists drop out of Ed Sheeran's tour in solidarity with rapper Macklemore - PBS
PBS NewsHour · 2026-09-16 22:14 UTC
More artists drop out of Ed Sheeran's tour in solidarity with rapper Macklemore - pbs.org
PBS NewsHour · 2026-09-17 01:24 UTC
More artists drop out of Ed Sheeran's tour in solidarity with rapper Macklemore - PBS
PBS NewsHour · 2026-09-17 02:01 UTC
More artists drop out of Ed Sheeran's tour in solidarity with rapper Macklemore - pbs.org
PBS NewsHour · 2026-09-17 17:27 UTC
More artists drop out of Ed Sheeran's tour in solidarity with rapper Macklemore - PBS
PBS NewsHour · 2026-09-17 19:57 UTC
More artists drop out of Ed Sheeran's tour in solidarity with rapper Macklemore - pbs.org
PBS NewsHour · 2026-09-18 12:08 UTC
More artists drop out of Ed Sheeran's tour in solidarity with rapper Macklemore - PBS
AP News · 2026-09-21 03:01 UTC
Ed Sheeran’s tour in trouble after opening acts drop out in solidarity with rapper Macklemore - apnews.com
The Atlantic · 2026-09-26 21:04 UTC
Why Macklemore Was Kicked Off the Ed Sheeran Tour - The Atlantic
The Atlantic · 2026-09-26 21:37 UTC
Why Macklemore Was Kicked Off the Ed Sheeran Tour - theatlantic.com
The Atlantic · 2026-09-27 19:42 UTC
Why Macklemore Was Kicked Off the Ed Sheeran Tour - The Atlantic
The split, in one line
Pro-Palestine outlets frame Macklemore's removal as silencing by Zionist billionaires while pro-Israel outlets emphasize antisemitic rhetoric and Kraft's right to protect his venue; wires focus on the promoter's decision and tour logistics.
How each outlet covered it
Two readings of the same facts
The left and the right lead with different language. The loaded words each chose are highlighted.
53DIVERGENCE
THE RIGHT
“Ed Sheeran Distances Himself from Decision to Drop Macklemore as Anti-Israel Mob Attempts to Shame Sheeran into Canceling Tour”B Breitbart RIGHT
DOWN THE MIDDLE
“Ed Sheeran's Americas tour in trouble as opening acts quit over Macklemore's removal” · Al Jazeera, Times of Israel, BBC, Deutsche Welle, Jerusalem Post, Axios, Globe and Mail, South China Morning Post, PBS NewsHour, The Hill, Reuters, Le Monde
+Hide the full sourcingSee how all 26 outlets put it
LEFT5
CNNCNN Fellow opening acts quit after Ed Sheeran tour drops Macklemore - CNN 44d ago NPRNPR Ed Sheeran's tour in trouble after opening acts drop out in solidarity with rapper Macklemore 43d ago HPHuffPost AOC Delivers Stark Message To Ed Sheeran Amid Macklemore Controversy 44d ago WPWashington Post Remaining opening acts quit Ed Sheeran's tour after Macklemore's removal 44d ago ATLThe Atlantic Why Macklemore Was Kicked Off the Ed Sheeran Tour - theatlantic.com 34d ago LEFT-CENTER3
ABCABC News All Ed Sheeran opening acts withdraw from tour after Macklemore dropped 44d ago NBCNBC News Robert Kraft Defends Dropping Macklemore From Ed Sheeran Tour 44d ago CBSCBS News Macklemore says Ed Sheeran dropped him from Gillette concert after call from Robert Kraft - CBS News 45d ago CENTER5
AAxios How Ed Sheeran's tour imploded over a geopolitical fight 44d ago PBSPBS NewsHour More artists drop out of Ed Sheeran's tour in solidarity with rapper Macklemore - pbs.org 44d ago HThe Hill Ms. Rachel calls out Ed Sheeran after Macklemore dropped from tour following Palestine support 44d ago RReuters Ed Sheeran says dropping Macklemore from US tour was not his decision 44d ago APAP News Ed Sheeran’s tour in trouble after opening acts drop out in solidarity with rapper Macklemore - AP News 44d ago RIGHT5
WEWashington Examiner Dave Portnoy defends Kraft over Macklemore expulsion: 'He owns the stadium, it's his house' 40d ago DWDaily Wire Macklemore Blames Jewish NFL Owner For Getting Him Booted From Ed Sheeran Tour 42d ago WTWashington Times Robert Kraft, Ed Sheeran each pledge $2 million in aid amid Macklemore tour fallout 42d ago BBreitbart Ed Sheeran Distances Himself from Decision to Drop Macklemore as Anti-Israel Mob Attempts to Shame Sheeran into Canceling Tour 42d ago NYPNY Post Macklemore goes on a walk with parents in Seattle in first sighting since Ed Sheeran concert debacle 42d ago INTERNATIONAL8
AJAl Jazeera Which artists have pulled out of Ed Sheeran's tour over Palestine? 40d ago TOITimes of Israel Ed Sheeran's Americas tour in trouble as opening acts quit over Macklemore's removal 42d ago BBCBBC All support acts on Ed Sheeran's US tour quit after Macklemore dropped 40d ago DWDeutsche Welle Supporting acts pull out of Ed Sheeran's tour over dropping Macklemore 44d ago JPJerusalem Post Ed Sheeran says it wasn't his call to drop Macklemore over 'Free Palestine' remarks 44d ago GMGlobe and Mail Four supporting acts quit Ed Sheeran tour after Macklemore's removal for pro-Palestinian comments 44d ago SCSouth China Morning Post Ed Sheeran tour in trouble as support acts quit over pro-Palestinian speech fallout 44d ago LMLe Monde Ed Sheeran's tour in jeopardy after all opening acts quit in support of Macklemore 44d ago 9 tracked claims across 26 outlets
Fact ledger
All9Disputed1Claimed4Corroborated4
9/26
Disputed
Macklemore's onstage comments were characterized as either legitimate pro-Palestine advocacy or antisemitic rhetoric.
Corroborated
Disputed
8 more tracked claimsSign up free to see the full ledger