Macklemore dropped from Ed Sheeran’s US tour after ‘free Palestine’ speech

• Macklemore has been removed from the remaining US dates of Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour after his pro-Palestine remarks at MetLife Stadium prompted calls for his removal.
• The tour promoter said venues warned they would not host shows featuring Macklemore, while the rapper said stadium owners pressured Sheeran to drop him.

US rapper Macklemore has been dropped from the remaining US dates of Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour after publicly supporting Palestine during performances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

The decision follows a backlash over comments Macklemore made during his September 4 appearance, when he told the audience he wanted people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank to know they had not been forgotten.

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Messina Touring Group, the promoter for Sheeran’s US tour, said venues on the remaining schedule had informed organizers that they would not allow concerts featuring Macklemore.

“As the concert promoter for Ed Sheeran’s US Loop Tour, we have been notified by venues on the upcoming US tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup,” the company said.

The promoter said keeping Macklemore on the bill could have resulted in the cancellation of the tour and affected hundreds of thousands of fans.

“After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates,” it said.

Sheeran did not immediately comment publicly on the decision.

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Macklemore had been scheduled to open for Sheeran at eight of the remaining 10 US shows, beginning with the tour's September 19 return in Philadelphia.

During his first appearance on the tour on September 4, Macklemore told the crowd that one reason he wanted to join the tour was to use major stadium stages to express his support for Palestinians.

“A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: ‘Free Palestine,’” he said.

He also displayed images of destruction in Gaza during a performance of his protest song “Hind’s Hall.”

At a second MetLife performance the following day, Macklemore again addressed his support for Palestinians, saying criticism of ‘Israel’, opposition to apartheid and opposition to genocidal crimes should not be interpreted as criticism of Jewish people.

Macklemore’s comments triggered criticism from groups including StopAntisemitism and the Israeli American Council, which called for him to be removed from the tour.

Singer Pink also amplified criticism of Macklemore’s remarks but later clarified that she did not object to his saying “Free Palestine.”

She said she wanted to be able to express fear and concern as a Jewish mother without being accused of supporting genocidal crimes.

The Israeli American Council said Macklemore’s comments raised questions about the use of major concert platforms for political messaging.

In a lengthy statement, Macklemore confirmed that Sheeran and his team had decided to remove him from the tour.

He said the decision followed a week of difficult conversations with Sheeran, whom he described as a close friend of 13 years.

According to Macklemore, Sheeran told him that Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, had objected to his participation.

Macklemore said Kraft had rallied other stadium owners and that they collectively pressured Sheeran to remove him, warning that Sheeran could otherwise be barred from performing at their venues.

The rapper said Sheeran was placed in a difficult position but argued that their friendship could not prevent him from speaking about Palestine.

“What I said at MetLife I have been saying on stages around the world for almost three years,” Macklemore said. “So why is it an issue now? Because now I’m sharing the stage with one of the biggest artists in the world, in some of the biggest stages in America.”

He ended his statement by reiterating his call to “Free Palestine,” saying that if those words cost him his place on the tour while keeping attention on Palestine, he considered it a success.