Ed Sheeran tour support quits after Macklemore removal
All remaining acts withdraw from Loop Tour following rapper's pro-Palestine stance
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Climate activist Greta Thunberg with other activists from a human rights organization meets with journalists in Catania, Italy, Sunday, June 1, 2025, ahead of their departure for the Mideast.
Photograph: CBS Austin (embedded from source)
What this story says
- All supporting artists have withdrawn from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour.
- The withdrawal follows Ed Sheeran's decision to remove rapper Macklemore from the tour.
- Macklemore's removal is linked to his pro-Palestine stance and on-stage speeches.
- Greta Thunberg and Shane MacGowan's widow have commented on the events.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 17 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 2 of the 19 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
30/100
Craft
45/100
Hype
65/100
19 sources · methodology
Thin on the left so far
Only 2 of the 17 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated left.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
All artists providing support for Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour have withdrawn their participation. This action follows Ed Sheeran's decision to remove rapper Macklemore from the tour lineup. Reports indicate Macklemore's removal was a consequence of pressure related to his pro-Palestine stance and public speeches.
Divergent accounts of the situation
One report states that Greta Thunberg opposes Ed Sheeran's actions, suggesting that "there is only one victim here." Another report claims Thunberg's statement shows "global consciousness has shifted" and leads a pro-Palestinian backlash against Sheeran. A different report suggests Ed Sheeran will donate millions to the Palestinians after attempting to maintain a neutral stance.
What the coverage left out
None of the right-rated digests mention that Ed Sheeran will donate millions to the Palestinians. None of the centre-rated digests mention Greta Thunberg's comments or Shane MacGowan's widow's statement.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 2 times, most recently on 17 Sept 2026, 11:30, and will add the sides that appear.
How other outlets pictured it
Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.
Credit: Getty
Just Jared — embedded from source
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
2 rated outlets
We have not written our reading of the left coverage of this story. The left-rated outlets that ran it are listed below.
Centre
6 rated outlets
- The centre-rated report led on Ellie Goulding being called 'iconic' by fans for a tweet posted amid the furore surrounding Ed Sheeran's tour. The digest stated that Goulding's fans had labelled her 'iconic' after she posted a tweet at a significant moment during the controversy.
Right
9 rated outlets
- Right-rated reports focused on the backlash against Ed Sheeran and the involvement of public figures. GB News highlighted that Shane MacGowan's widow urged Sheeran to quit the tour, stating it is "never too late" to act. Welt and The Telegraph reported that Greta Thunberg opposes Sheeran's actions, with The Telegraph adding that Thunberg believes the cancellation shows a shift in "global consciousness" and leads a pro-Palestinian backlash. Observador framed the situation as "War vs Culture" and questioned who the villain would be, noting Sheeran ran out of opening bands.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Ed Sheeran tour support quits after Macklemore removal?
- Of the 17 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 12% are rated left, 35% are rated centre, 53% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 19. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Ed Sheeran tour support quits after Macklemore removal left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 17 rated outlets on this story, 12% are rated left, 35% are rated centre, 53% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Ed Sheeran tour support quits after Macklemore removal biased?
- Ed Sheeran tour support quits after Macklemore removal is one event reported by 19 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Ed Sheeran tour support quits after Macklemore removal?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated left had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Ed Sheeran tour support quits after Macklemore removal?
- 19 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- Why was Macklemore removed from Ed Sheeran's tour?
- Macklemore was reportedly removed from Ed Sheeran's tour due to pressure concerning his pro-Palestine stance and on-stage political speeches. This decision led to a backlash against Ed Sheeran.
- What happened after Macklemore was removed?
- Following Macklemore's removal from the Loop Tour, all of Ed Sheeran's remaining supporting artists decided to pull out of their appearances. This left Ed Sheeran without any opening acts for the tour.
- Who commented on Ed Sheeran's decision?
- Greta Thunberg has opposed Ed Sheeran's actions, with reports suggesting her comments indicate a shift in global consciousness. Shane MacGowan's widow has also weighed in, urging Sheeran that it is not too late to take action.
Read it at the source
19 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
2Centre
6- Ellie Goulding is branded an 'icon' as is dragged into Ed Sheeran row (opens dailymail.com in a new tab)
dailymail.com — is dailymail.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Greta Thunberg leads the pro-Palestinian backlash aimed at Ed Sheeran (opens NZ Herald in a new tab)
- Greta Thunberg tells Ed Sheeran the Palestinian people are the 'one victim here' (opens News 4 San Antonio in a new tab)
News 4 San Antonio — is News 4 San Antonio biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Greta Thunberg tells Ed Sheeran the Palestinian people are the 'one victim here' (opens KGAN in a new tab)
- Greta Thunberg tells Ed Sheeran the Palestinian people are the 'one victim here' (opens CBS Austin in a new tab)
CBS Austin — is CBS Austin biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Greta Thunberg Calls Out Ed Sheeran Amid Macklemore Tour Fallout, Says 'There Is Only One Victim Here' (opens Just Jared in a new tab)
Just Jared — is Just Jared biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
9- Shane MacGowan's widow calls on Ed Sheeran to quit touramid Macklemore backlash: 'Never too late' (opens GB News in a new tab)
- Macklemore Ejection: "There Is only One Victim Here – Greta Thunberg Opposes Ed Sheeran (opens Welt in a new tab)
- War vs Culture. Ed Sheeran and Macklemore Turned Backs (opens Observador in a new tab)
Observador — is Observador biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Greta Thunberg leads pro-Palestinian backlash against Ed Sheeran (opens The Telegraph in a new tab)
The Telegraph — is The Telegraph biased? Our profile of this outlet
- "Palestinians Are the Real Victims," Greta Thunberg Responds to Ed Sheeran (opens Protothema in a new tab)
Protothema — is Protothema biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Thunberg's Anger Against Ed Sheeran (opens Expressen in a new tab)
- Greta Thunberg tells Ed Sheeran the Palestinian people are the 'one victim here' (opens WCIV in a new tab)
- Greta Thunberg tells Ed Sheeran the Palestinian people are the 'one victim here' (opens The National Desk in a new tab)
The National Desk — is The National Desk biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
2How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
