Jack Antonoff Slams Ed Sheeran for Not Canceling Tour After Macklemore Controversy: 'Stand Up'

Jack Antonoff has openly criticized Ed Sheeran for his handling of a recent tour controversy, urging artists to reject corporate pressure and take a stand on global issues.

The Bleachers frontman condemned Sheeran’s decision to proceed with his Loop tour after opening act Macklemore was removed from the lineup following pro-Palestine remarks made on stage.

"The reason it’s not an anomaly or niche issue is because we all live in a world where billionaires are constantly telling us what to do. So stand the f--- up," Antonoff stated, calling for resistance against corporate control.

The controversy began during Sheeran’s show in New Jersey, where Macklemore used his opening set to advocate for Palestinian liberation and criticize Israel.

"To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters, criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, it in no way is criticism of you. This message is for peace, love, for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality," Macklemore declared.

A week later, Messina Touring Group, the promoter for the U.S. leg of the tour, notified Rolling Stone that multiple venues refused to host concerts featuring Macklemore on the lineup, ultimately leading to the rapper's official removal from the tour.

Following Macklemore's exit, Sheeran blamed the promoter and venues for the decision while refusing to take a definitive political side in the ongoing conflict.

During his first concert after the removal, a visibly emotional Sheeran wept on stage, telling the audience, "I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I’m so sorry."

However, the decision sparked immediate fallout across the tour's roster.

All remaining support acts dropped out of the tour in solidarity, including opening acts Finneas, Aaron Rowe and Lukas Graham, alongside Sheeran’s own backing band, Beoga.

Speaking to The Guardian, Antonoff slammed Sheeran’s compliance.

"They’re going to let some f------ promoter tell me what I can say? Don’t book me. I’ll play for free outside," he stated.

He argued Sheeran "missed a massive, beautiful opportunity there: just cancel the whole f------ tour, then play for free outside each venue, raise a bunch of money, rather than let a f------ billionaire tell you what to do."

Antonoff added that advocating "Free Palestine" is "not in any way a strange, uncomfortable or controversial thing to say, it’s a deeply human thing to say. If you think it is [controversial] you’re lost in some other sauce that is so crazy."

While Sheeran continued his tour, the ousted artists took independent action in response to the situation.

Macklemore launched a three-concert "Free Palestine" tour across Europe, designating all proceeds from the shows to support organizations providing aid to the Palestinian people.

The fallout from the Loop tour has since sparked broader discussions within the music industry regarding artist expression, corporate censorship and the responsibility of headlining performers during political controversies.