Charlotte Church has criticised Ed Sheeran over the removal of Macklemore from his US tour, accusing the singer of choosing “consumerism and capitalism” over speaking out on Gaza.
The Welsh singer, 40, addressed the controversy during her End Times Pop Dungeon show in Cardiff on Sunday, calling on the audience to chant “Free Palestine” before turning her attention to Sheeran.
Church told the crowd that Sheeran had made millions and had “an enormous following” and “an enormous platform to do real good in the world”.
She then said: “While he has made millions, while he has an enormous following, an enormous platform to do real good in the world, he chose consumerism and capitalism over doing the right thing.”
She added: “We say the same thing to Ed Sheeran, because f*** the fact that musicians shouldn’t be involved in politics, f*** that s***.
“Politics is life. So you ready?”
Church then called out “Ed Sheeran”, prompting the audience to respond: “We’re watching you”, before she led a chant of “Free Palestine”.
Charlotte Church has entered the chat.
— Mukhtar (@I_amMukhtar) September 21, 2026
“Whilst he has made millions and has an enormous following, he has an enormous platform to do real good in the world. He chose consumerism and capitalism over doing the right thing...Ed Sheeran, we’re watching you. Free Palestine.” pic.twitter.com/CRKtHWlAfB
The comments come amid growing controversy surrounding Sheeran’s North American Loop tour after rapper Macklemore was removed from the remaining US dates.
Macklemore had spoken in support of Palestinians during a performance at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium earlier this month, telling the audience “Free Palestine” and performing his protest song Hind’s Hall.
He was subsequently dropped from the remainder of the US leg of the tour. Macklemore said the decision was influenced by stadium owners, including New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, while Sheeran has said the decision was made by the tour’s promoter and venues rather than by him personally.
Several other supporting acts, including Finneas, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe, subsequently withdrew from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore. Sheeran’s backing band also pulled out.
Sheeran addressed the controversy directly during his first show since the fallout at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday.
He also claimed family members had “abandoned” him during the furore.
The singer became emotional as he apologised for “mistakes” and said the previous week had been “one of the worst weeks of my life”.
He reiterated that he had wanted his concerts to be spaces for “unity, joy, escapism, love and a place for everyone to feel welcome”, while also speaking more directly about the situation in Gaza.
Sheeran said the October 7 attack on the Nova Music Festival in Israel was “horrific” and described what was happening in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate”. He also said the scale of civilian and child deaths had “broken” his heart.
He said he had been trying to “build bridges” between those involved in the dispute and that he was “deeply worried” about venues influencing what performers can say on stage.
Church has been an outspoken supporter of the Palestinian cause in recent years.
In 2024, she led a choir at a pro-Palestinian event which performed a version of the song From The River To The Sea.
The phrase has been described by some Jewish and pro-Israel groups as antisemitic or as advocating the elimination of Israel, while supporters of the slogan reject that interpretation and use it as a call for Palestinian freedom. Church has previously rejected accusations of antisemitism.
She has also criticised the UK government's proscription of Palestine Action. In 2025, she was among the signatories of an open letter describing the ban as a threat to the right to protest.
The government proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation in 2025, meaning membership of or support for the group is a criminal offence under UK law.
Church has continued to use her platform to speak about the conflict, most recently bringing the issue into her public comments about Sheeran and the Macklemore controversy.
