Rapper Macklemore has been dropped from the remaining U.S. dates of Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour following controversy over his public support for Palestine.
The Grammy-winning rapper made the comments during Sheeran’s concert at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4. Macklemore told thousands of fans that one of the reasons he joined the tour was to use major stadium stages to say, “Free Palestine,” and said he had not forgotten people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. His remarks were met with cheers from some audience members, while others reportedly walked out.
The comments quickly sparked calls for Macklemore to be removed from the tour. The Israeli-American Council launched a petition criticizing his statements, while StopAntisemitism accused him of using the concert to promote what it described as anti-Israel messaging. Tour promoter Messina Touring Group later confirmed that several venues had refused to allow Macklemore to perform as part of the remaining U.S. shows. The promoter said keeping him on the lineup could have resulted in cancellations affecting hundreds of thousands of fans.
Macklemore said his longtime friend Sheeran told him that the decision came after pressure from stadium owners, including billionaire Robert Kraft, who owns Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts. Macklemore alleged that Kraft had also rallied other stadium owners to threaten to bar Sheeran from their venues if he remained on the tour. That claim has not been independently verified.
Kraft has confirmed that Macklemore was barred from performing at Gillette Stadium, saying the decision followed his recent performances and what Kraft described as a broader history of rhetoric and imagery that he believed was offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.
Meanwhile, singer Pink, who had shared criticism of Macklemore’s performance, also faced backlash. Pink later explained that she did not object to Macklemore saying “Free Palestine,” but said the imagery and messaging during his performance had frightened her as a Jewish woman and mother.
Macklemore, however, has defended his position and said he did not regret speaking out. He reiterated his support for Palestinians and said the controversy had only strengthened his determination to continue advocating for them.
