Taylor Swift’s hitmaker scolds Ed Sheeran, ‘stand the f--- up’ after Macklemore fallout
Jack Antonoff slams Ed Sheeran for cutting Macklemore from tour, calls out billionaire influence
October 26, 2026
In a candid interview with The Guardian on Tuesday, Grammy‑winning producer and Bleachers frontman Jack Antonoff took aim at pop star Ed Sheeran for removing rapper Macklemore from the 2026 Loop Tour after the latter’s “Free Palestine” comments during a opening act. Antonoff said the decision represented a missed chance for Sheeran to stand up against the pressure of wealthy promoters and owners.
Antonoff told The Guardian that “if you think it is controversial you’re lost in some other sauce that is so crazy.” He added, “Ed Sheeran missed a massive, beautiful opportunity there: just cancel the whole f‑ing tour, then play for free outside each venue, raise a bunch of money, rather than let a f‑ing billionaire tell you what to do.” The producer called on artists to “stand the f‑up” in a world where billionaires “are constantly telling us what to do.”
The controversy began after Sheeran dropped Macklemore from his tour in response to the rapper’s remarks about the Israel‑Palestine conflict. Macklemore’s comments, which included a call for “Free Palestine,” were made during his performance at the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7, the same day the Hamas attack on Israel began. The incident triggered backlash from fans and fellow musicians, prompting several opening acts—Finneas, Aaron Rowe and Lukas Graham—to withdraw in solidarity with Macklemore, who has since launched a “Free Palestine Tour.”
During a concert in Philadelphia, Sheeran addressed the situation directly. “What happened in Israel and at the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate,” he said.
Antonoff, who has publicly voiced support for “free Palestine,” praised Macklemore for speaking out. “It’s not in any way a strange, uncomfortable or controversial thing to say, it’s a deeply human thing to say,” he told The Guardian. “The Jewish artist has felt way more emboldened to say it now.”
Not all industry insiders share Antonoff’s perspective. Film critic and Hollywood in Toto founder Christian Toto criticized Antonoff’s remarks as an attempt to gain favor within the music industry. “Jack doesn’t sound well‑informed, either about Middle East politics or his own business,” Toto said. “If Sheeran scrapped his tour, how many workers would lose their jobs? And if he did an alternative tour, how would they get paid?” He further remarked that Antonoff’s “Free Palestine” stance is a “lazy, thoughtless attack” designed to curry industry approval.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Sheeran and Macklemore for comment, but neither artist has responded as of this writing.
The incident highlights growing tensions between artists, fans, and the powerful business interests that shape touring schedules and venue partnerships. Whether Sheeran will reconsider his decision remains to be seen.