Ed Sheeran has lost more than 200,000 Instagram followers in the days since Macklemore was removed from his tour, while Macklemore has gained over 1.6 million followers on the same platform. The sharp swing in social media numbers reflects a deepening cultural and political divide that has engulfed Sheeran's latest concert run.
According to data from social media analytics firm Social Blade, Sheeran lost 149,636 followers in the 24 hours after Macklemore announced he had been dropped from the tour. He then lost a further 50,000, bringing his total to 47.3 million. During that same 24-hour period, Macklemore gained 750,098 followers. He has since added another 850,000, pushing his count to more than 8.4 million.
The controversy began earlier this week when Macklemore delivered an impassioned «free Palestine» speech while opening for Sheeran at Gillette Stadium in New Jersey. The speech drew calls for his removal from figures including Pink and the Israeli American Council. Macklemore was subsequently dropped from the tour. Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft later confirmed that he found the speech «deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community», resulting in the dismissal.
Sheeran addressed the situation publicly, saying he was «not complicit» and that he was «appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine». He described the «suffering and pain caused on both sides» as a «tragedy». He has not yet responded to his support acts pulling out or to further comments from other artists.
The fallout has extended beyond the two headliners. All of Sheeran's support acts and his backing band dropped out of the «Loop» tour. FINNEAS, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga all made statements supporting Macklemore. Rowe wrote: «I cannot stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up against Israeli genocide».
Those acts have also seen their followings grow. FINNEAS gained 96,163 followers in the 24 hours after his statement. Beoga, Sheeran's touring band, gained 86,548. Rowe, the first to drop out, has grown his following by 73 per cent, with more than 132,000 people now following him.
Recent Sheeran support acts BIIRD and Myles Smith also came out in support of Macklemore. Irish trad-folk band BIIRD wrote that «we stand unequivocally behind every word [Macklemore] said». Smith said: «what Palestinians are enduring is devastating and impossible to look away from. No child, no family, no innocent person should have to live under bombing, displacement, hunger, grief or fear».
Other prominent musicians weighed in. Pink Floyd's Roger Waters called Sheeran a «little prick» while praising Macklemore for doing «the right thing». Massive Attack also commented: «'Neutrality' in the face of the slaughter of more than 20,000 children can never be neutrality».
In a separate development, Macklemore donated his entire $1 million in earnings from the tour to Palestinians. Kraft matched that with $2 million to «aid in the region».