“When the billionaire class can decide which voices are allowed on stage and which ones are too dangerous to hear, everyone should be paying attention.”
Macklemore announced three shows in London, Paris and Dublin for late October, with US dates also planned, and said all proceeds will benefit pro-Palestinian organisations.
He said: “It’s 2026. Being apolitical during a genocide doesn’t work anymore.
“People are asking artists to show up, educate themselves and be in community. To use the stage for more than entertainment. To push back when the call for a free Palestine is met with attempts to silence it.”
Macklemore’s removal has opened a can of worms for the Grammy-winning Sheeran, who has typically steered clear of making any overt political statements.
But last weekend at a show in Philadelphia, he broke his silence on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by describing the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate”.
He said: “I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I’m so, so sorry.”
– AFP