Viral Misinformation Surrounds Ed Sheeran Amid Macklemore Tour Controversy

Ed Sheeran’s US tour has become the target of widespread viral misinformation. A false assertion that his music was removed from Spotify accumulated over 3 million views on X, even though his songs remain accessible on the platform. Another post, viewed more than 14 million times, falsely claimed Sheeran was performing solo after all support acts withdrew, but the footage was dated and Sheeran has since brought in replacement musicians. Vedika Bahl fact-checks this in Truth or Fake.

The controversy stems from rapper Macklemore’s removal from the lineup following pro-Palestinian remarks on stage, which prompted a cascade of support acts to withdraw in solidarity with Macklemore and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The dispute has triggered a surge of online claims, including two viral posts misrepresenting developments around Sheeran’s concerts.

One post alleged Sheeran’s music had been pulled from Spotify amid the backlash. Shared by the account HoopsCrave, it garnered over 3 million views on X. However, no evidence supports Spotify removing Sheeran’s music; his songs remain available, and Spotify has issued no such announcement.

The account behind the post is marked “Parody and Satire” on its X profile, a detail many sharers overlooked.

The only verified instance of Sheeran’s music being removed came from Irish radio station Classic Hits Radio, which said it pulled his songs from its playlist “for the foreseeable future” due to listener feedback.

A second viral claim concerned Sheeran’s performances after several support acts withdrew.

A video viewed over 14 million times was captioned to suggest Sheeran defiantly continued the tour alone after opening acts cancelled and his band quit.

The footage is not from the current Loop Tour.

It shows Sheeran using his loop pedal at London’s Wembley Stadium in 2022 during his Mathematics Tour. The clip surfaced online years before the current controversy, including in connection with his documentary.

The notion that Sheeran has been performing entirely alone is also misleading.

At his Philadelphia show, Sheeran began without an opening act but later performed with other musicians after his backing band, Beoga, withdrew in support of Macklemore. Sheeran explained on stage that he had brought in musicians he had previously worked with.

Withdrawing acts include Danish band Lukas Graham, Irish singer Aaron Rowe, and Finneas, Billie Eilish’s brother, who was scheduled for the South American leg. The artists cited support for Macklemore and Palestinians as their reason for leaving the tour.

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