Who Is The Promoter Ed Sheeran Says Is Responsible For Macklemore Decision? - Newsweek
In an effort to distance himself from the decision to remove rapper Macklemore from his North American stadium tour, Singer Ed Sheeran said the move was made by venues and the tour's promoter rather than by him personally.
The controversy erupted after Macklemore used recent performances at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium to voice support for Palestinians and lead "Free Palestine" chants.
The fallout has sparked criticism from both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian activists, with several artists reportedly withdrawing from the tour and fans demanding answers about who ultimately made the decision.
In an Instagram statement, Sheeran said Macklemore's agreement was with the promoter, not with him directly.
"Macklemore's contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me," Sheeran wrote, adding that venues had indicated they would pull shows if Macklemore remained on the lineup.
That has put the spotlight on Louis Messina and his company, Messina Touring Group, one of the most powerful concert promoters in the music business.
Messina Touring Group is a Texas-based concert promotion company founded by Louis Messina, one of the most influential figures in live entertainment.
Messina has spent decades promoting major tours and festivals. He previously founded Pace Concerts and helped launch the Texxas World Music Festival, a long-running event that featured many of the biggest rock acts of the 1970s and 1980s. He also worked with Sharon Osbourne to create Ozzfest and later received the Country Music Association's Touring Lifetime Achievement Award.
Despite his prominence in the music industry, Messina has generally maintained a low public political profile.
Newsweek reached out to Messina and Messina Touring Group for comment but did not receive a response before publication.
Messina Touring Group is one of the largest promoters in North America and has worked with some of the biggest names in music.
Sheeran has previously spoken about the close relationship he developed with Messina. The singer has said he first met the promoter in 2013 after opening for Swift and credits that encounter with beginning a business partnership that helped shape his touring career.
The backlash stems from Macklemore's removal from the tour after the rapper used recent stadium performances to advocate for Palestinians amid the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Following the concerts, pro-Israel groups launched campaigns urging venues and tour organizers to remove Macklemore from the remaining dates. One petition organized by the Israeli American Council argued that concertgoers had purchased tickets for a music performance, not political activism.
At the same time, Macklemore's supporters accused tour organizers of punishing the rapper for expressing his political views. Artists, activists and fans framed the dispute as a free-speech issue and criticized the decision to remove him from the tour.
The controversy intensified after Macklemore alleged that influential figures, including Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots, helped pressure venues to oppose his participation.
For his part, Sheeran has said he opposes the suffering caused by the Israel-Gaza war, respects Macklemore as an artist and allows performers to choose their own setlists. He has also maintained that the decision to remove Macklemore was not his.
In a post on Instagram Wednesday, Macklemore challenged Kraft to match a donation of $1 million in aid to Palestine, saying, "With everything that has happened over the last 48 hours, I want to bring the conversation back to where it belongs: to the Palestinian people who are still being killed, living under military occupation, and still fighting for their freedom."
"I will be donating the entire $1 million of my net earnings from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour to six organizations working directly to support the Palestinian people. And I invited Robert Kraft to match my donation," the rapper continued, adding, "Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting. A Palestinian life is no less valuable than another life on this earth."
Kraft, who also owns the New England Patriots, announced his donation in an Instagram post Wednesday, saying, "I have dedicated much of my life to building bridges between all people. I believe deeply that all lives are worth protecting."
"Earlier today, before Macklemore challenged me to match his donation, Ed called me and asked me to commit $2 million to match his donation to aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis," he said, adding, "Ed now plans to reach out to other venue owners and our goal is to continue to work together to build bridges."
According to Sheeran, venue operators informed the tour that they would cancel shows if Macklemore remained on the bill.
The dispute began after Macklemore's comments supporting Palestinians during recent performances. He told fans he wanted to use stadium shows to express solidarity with people in Gaza and led chants of "Free Palestine."
Critics argued that the concerts were not the appropriate venue for political activism, while supporters said the rapper was exercising his right to express a political opinion.
Sheeran has said the decision ultimately rested with the promoter and venues rather than with him personally.
Meanwhile, Macklemore has continued to accuse powerful industry figures of helping engineer his removal, turning what began as a concert controversy into a broader debate about free speech, political expression and the role of artists in public discourse.
Newsweekβs reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Samantha Beech and Gray R. Thomas
