Fact Check: Did Ed Sheeran announce Benjamin Netanyahu as the new opening act for his tour?

WASHINGTON, DC: The claim that Ed Sheeran announced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the new opening act for his tour has gone viral on social media. 

The post surfaced amid controversy over rapper Macklemore's removal from Sheeran's tour, leading some users to treat the unverified claim as a real announcement. Let’s fact-check the claim.

Claim: Ed Sheeran announces Benjamin Netanyahu as new opener for his tour

The rumor originated with an X user named Daily Noud, who claimed that singer Ed Sheeran had announced Benjamin Netanyahu as the new opener for his ongoing tour. The post carried the caption, “Ed Sheeran announces Benjamin Netanyahu as the new opener for his tour,” along with photos of Sheeran and Netanyahu.

The post quickly went viral, receiving more than 100,000 likes and 1 million views. The claim surfaced after a recent controversy involving rapper Macklemore, who was dropped as the opening act after making pro-Palestinian statements during Sheeran’s New Jersey shows.

The controversy reportedly led to pressure from venues and prompted other artists to withdraw in solidarity.

On September 4 and 5, 2026, Macklemore opened for Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. During the shows, he said “Free Palestine,” performed his protest song 'Hind’s Hall,' displayed related imagery, and made broader comments about Gaza and the West Bank. Jewish advocacy groups and others criticized his remarks, and a petition called for his removal.

Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots and operator of Gillette Stadium, later barred Macklemore from the upcoming Massachusetts shows. Other stadium owners also reportedly pressured the tour to remove Macklemore, threatening to cancel remaining US dates if he stayed on the bill.

Fact Check: False, claim originated in a parody account

The claim is satire, not fact. A parody account joked that Ed Sheeran had announced Benjamin Netanyahu as the new opener for his tour.

The post came from @DailyNoud, whose bio clearly states that the account publishes parody content and fake stories and is not affiliated with or impersonating @DailyLoud.

Searches of major news outlets, including BBC, Reuters, CNN, Billboard, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and The Guardian, found no reports from September 14 to 16, 2026, saying Sheeran had announced Netanyahu or any Israeli politician as a tour opener.

Sheeran, his team, and the tour promoters also have not made any official announcement or social media post mentioning Netanyahu in this context. The images in the post are simply portraits of Sheeran and Netanyahu and do not show a real tour announcement.

The parody account appears to have used the recent controversy involving Macklemore for comedy and political effect by replacing the rapper with Netanyahu in the fictional announcement.

The post gained attention as the real controversy was making headlines. There is no evidence that Sheeran has announced a new opener, and upcoming tour dates either list the opener as TBA or do not name one.