U2 frontman Bono has addressed the controversy over Ed Sheeran’s censorship. It followed rapper Macklemore’s removal from Sheeran’s US stadium tour after a “Free Palestine” speech. Bono said he did not want to personalise the issue. He referred to a comment by Brian Eno about the position of pop stars in larger political and religious debates.
“We shouldn’t sort of personalise this,” Bono said. “I think Brian Eno referred to it today: he said pop stars are kinda like little fish in a large sea of huge forces and religion and politics, and so I don’t want to dwell on what Ed and Macklemore, that incident.”
Bono then described his experience working with Sheeran on the song “Yours Eternally.”
“I will say this: when we did Yours Eternally, he [Sheeran] was saying, ‘You’re not going to get me into politics?'” Bono said. “Right, and I was saying, this soldier who inspired us, he loved you Ed, and you’ve worked on this song.”
Bono said Sheeran replied that he wanted to keep his work free of politics.
“And he said, ‘Yeah, but I just want to keep my thing free,'” Bono continued. “So you can’t be pushing people around.”
Bono’s remarks make more sense against the events that led up to them. The dispute began on a September night in New Jersey. It grew into one of the biggest controversies of Sheeran’s current tour.
Macklemore was opening for Sheeran at MetLife Stadium on September 4. He told the crowd that a big reason he wanted to join the tour was to stand up in stadiums and say two words that are “very near and dear” to his heart: “Free Palestine.” Days later, he announced that he had been dropped from the remaining US dates. He said the decision followed “difficult conversations” and a “fundamental disagreement.” He also said New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft had organised a boycott among stadium owners over his remarks.
Sheeran responded within a day. He distanced himself from the decision. “Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine,” he said.
The fallout spread quickly. The other opening acts on the tour quit in solidarity with Macklemore. Sheeran later apologised for “mistakes” in his first show after the removal.
“Yours Eternally” is a collaboration between Bono, Sheeran and Ukrainian musician Taras Topolia. It appeared on U2’s surprise EP “Days of Ash,” released on Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026. The track was written as a protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. That origin explains why Bono has described the song, and Sheeran’s hesitation over politics while making it, as a reference point for the current debate.
