What in the World - Should artists speak up about Israel-Gaza?

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For the first time in a loooong time, Macklemore’s face is probably all over your timeline, alongside Ed Sheeran’s. This week, Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour’s been plunged into chaos after Macklemore was dropped as Ed's support for making pro-Palestinian comments on stage. The other artists who were going to take part in the tour with Ed pulled out in solidarity. What’s gonna happen with his Philadelphia concert? Is this going to ruin the tour?!

We unpack how the week unfolded with Zara Salaria from BBC News. Do you want your favourite artists to speak about politics on stage? Jordan Kenny from Newsbeat talks us through the different takes. We also discuss what’s next for Ed Sheeran and his career with our human Wikipedia, BBC music correspondent Mark Savage.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
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Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Mollie Perella, Emily Horler, Baldeep Chahal, Chelsea Coates and Liv Cleal
Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal
Editor: Verity Wilde

Published on Friday, 18th September 2026.

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