Bob Geldof has defended Ed Sheeran amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Macklemore being dropped from the singer’s ‘Loop’ tour over pro-Palestine comments.
The Boomtown Rats frontman has weighed in on the row, arguing that artists have the right to decide whether they want to use their platform to speak on political issues, while also praising Macklemore and the musicians who subsequently withdrew from Sheeran’s tour.
“An artist has the absolute right to choose what he wants to say and when he wants to say it,” Geldof told the Belfast Telegraph. “There are those who say, y’know, at a certain level of fame, having a non-political stance is political. No, that’s not right. Fame is a currency, and it depends on how you want to use it.”
He continued: “I wouldn’t expect The Rolling Stones to get up and go on about Gaza, you just wouldn’t. Why? Because it’s not their thing, although I’m quite sure that Mick Jagger has an opinion on it.”
Gelfof did, however, reserve praise for those who took a stand, adding: “I really admire Macklemore and the guys who walked, because it’s a hard ask. They are making a big quid for the first time in their lives, y’know, and he just said, ‘No, mate’.”
‼️| HQ video of Ed Sheeran’s full speech before his show tonight in Philadelphia pic.twitter.com/K8uElEtT8U
— Ed Sheeran Access (@AccessEdSheeran) September 20, 2026
He instead directed his criticism towards Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft and the tour’s promoters.
“Shame on Kraft, and shame on the promoters,” Geldof said. “Shame on them! But not shame on Sheeran.”
“They both should be supported by the promoters that put on their concerts and by the owners of the stadium,” he said. “It’s certainly none of their fucking business what an artist gets up to.”
The comments come after Sheeran returned to the stage in Philadelphia on Saturday (September 19) and admitted making “mistakes” over the Macklemore row.
Speaking to the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field, Sheeran said the fallout had made him question whether he wanted “to be an artist at all”.
“I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I’m so, so sorry,” he said.
Sheeran also said he had never intended to be “an activist musician”, but that the controversy had placed him at the centre of “an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech”.
“I am deeply worried about the idea that venues should pre-approve content for performers,” he told the audience. “This happens in so many places that I perform around the world, but it should never happen in the free world.”
Turning to Gaza, he added: “I’ve tried in my career to not be a political commentator of any kind because I want my music and shows to be about unity, not division, about humanity, not politics.
“But this is a humanitarian issue, and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.”
Sheeran described the Hamas-led attack at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023 as “horrific”, before saying that what was happening in Gaza was “catastrophic, unjustifiable, and disproportionate”.
He also said he was “speaking to people across the spectrum” about making a humanitarian contribution.
During the same concert, Sheeran revealed that he had removed the usual B-stage from the show because he was “afraid of what might happen” if he stood in the middle of the crowd.
“I didn’t know if I’d have things thrown at me,” he told fans.
🎥| Ed getting emotional tonight on stage while thanking the crowd for the support ❤️🩹
“I will never stop doing this.” pic.twitter.com/L9Mg9uVSrD
— Ed Sheeran Access (@AccessEdSheeran) September 20, 2026
Geldof’s defence of Sheeran follows similar comments from former support act Aaron Rowe, who said that anger over the situation should instead be aimed at “the likes of Robert Kraft”.
“I’m gonna be honest, I think youse are all focusing on the wrong person here,” Rowe said. “All I keep hearing is Ed Sheeran this, Ed Sheeran that, when youse really should be focusing on the likes of Robert Kraft.”
Rowe, who was among the musicians to withdraw from the tour, acknowledged that Sheeran’s initial statement “could have been a lot better” and maintained that Macklemore should not have been removed.
However, he added: “All he has inside of him is kindness. That is who Ed Sheeran is. And yes, like every other human being he makes fucking mistakes.”
Macklemore was dropped after making an impassioned “Free Palestine” speech during his support slots at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where he also performed his protest track ‘Hind’s Hall’ alongside footage from Gaza.
He subsequently faced calls for his removal from figures including Pink and the Israeli American Council.
Kraft later said he found Macklemore’s comments “deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community”. Sheeran has maintained that the final decision to remove the rapper was made by promoter Messina Touring Group after a number of venues objected to Macklemore appearing.
The move prompted FINNEAS, Lukas Graham, Rowe and Beoga to withdraw from the tour, while Sheeran’s backing musicians also pulled out.
‼️| Ed on removing the B-stage for security concerns tonight:
“I didn’t know if I would have things thrown at me. I didn’t know if people would be angry at me… I took the B stage out because I was afraid of what might happen if I stood in the middle.” pic.twitter.com/6Qik3P5AbM
— Ed Sheeran Access (@AccessEdSheeran) September 20, 2026
Macklemore subsequently pledged his entire $1million earnings from the tour to six organisations supporting Palestinians. Kraft later said Sheeran had asked him to match a $2million humanitarian contribution.
Geldof’s comments come despite him having previously spoken forcefully about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Last year, he called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “liar” and accused Israeli forces of lying about the starvation crisis.
Days earlier, he had hit out at the “abysmal” starvation of children in Gaza, telling the Israeli public: “Your government and your army seem to be out of control.”
Others have continued to weigh in on the dispute. In an interview with NME published today (September 21), Maruja said they hoped the controversy would redirect attention “back to what is actually going on in Palestine”, adding that the situation “isn’t about Macklemore and Ed Sheeran”.
Frontman Joe Carroll added: “You get misled that you have to pick a side, but this is a genocide. There shouldn’t be any ‘picking a side’, it’s just basic human morality.”
