During a September concert in New Jersey where Macklemore was opening for Ed Sheeran, the rapper addressed the crowd, saying, “A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so that I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very, very dear to my heart: Free Palestine.”
Macklemore went on to perform a song dedicated to pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia University. The track’s lyrics took aim at Israel’s military operations in Gaza, which followed the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel.
The following evening, Macklemore described the mounting death toll as a genocide—a characterisation Israel has firmly rejected.
In response, the Israeli American Council launched a petition calling for his removal from the tour, while the advocacy group StopAntisemitism accused the musician of ambushing audiences with propaganda.
Pop star Pink, who is Jewish, shared an anti-Macklemore meme and later added her own statement explaining her criticism of the rapper’s comments.
Macklemore then claimed on Instagram that the media firestorm surrounding Pink and his remarks prompted billionaire stadium owner Robert Kraft to contact Ed Sheeran directly. “Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium,” Macklemore wrote, referring to Kraft, who also owns the New England Patriots.
Concert promoter Messina Touring Group said Macklemore was removed because some venues—including Kraft’s Gillette Stadium—threatened to cancel Sheeran’s upcoming concerts if the rapper remained on the lineup.
Kraft, who is Jewish, confirmed he had banned Macklemore from performing at Gillette, accusing him of hate speech and antisemitic rhetoric. “I agree with Macklemore, too many lives have been lost and there has been too much suffering, but only sharing selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas is not honest and only advances more divisiveness and hate,” Kraft said.
Macklemore was officially dropped from Sheeran’s tour on 14 September.