American rapper Macklemore announced on Monday that he was removed from pop star Ed Sheeran’s US tour following his pro-Palestinian remarks and “Free Palestine” statements made during a September 4 concert at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Macklemore disclosed on Instagram that he and Sheeran had “some difficult conversations this past week.”
Messina Touring Group, the promoter for the US leg of Sheeran’s Loop Tour, informed Rolling Stone that venue owners for the upcoming US dates notified them they would not permit a concert to proceed with Macklemore on the lineup.
“Following discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates,” Messina Touring Group stated. Sheeran did not immediately comment.
Macklemore has long supported the Palestinian cause and criticized Israel’s military actions in Gaza and its occupation of the West Bank.
In 2024, Macklemore released “Hind’s Hall,” a protest anthem expressing solidarity with pro-Palestinian demonstrators and commemorating 5-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, who was killed by Israeli troops in Gaza. Israel’s military announced last month that it had opened a criminal investigation into her death, though human rights organizations note that such investigations rarely result in convictions.
“A significant reason I wanted to undertake this tour was to stand in stadiums like this and utter two words close to my heart: ‘Free Palestine,'” Macklemore stated earlier this month.
“I want those words to resonate loudly and clearly so that people from Gaza all the way to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten about them,” Macklemore declared during the concert.
According to Variety, Macklemore, a Grammy-winning artist, was scheduled to perform at eight of the 10 remaining shows on Sheeran’s stadium tour, which was set to resume on September 19 in Philadelphia.
The Israeli-American Council initiated a petition calling on Sheeran to drop Macklemore from the tour.
Macklemore revealed on Instagram that New England Patriots owner and billionaire Robert Kraft had rallied support among stadium owners, informing Sheeran that they would not allow him to perform at their venues if Macklemore remained on the tour.
In a statement to US media, Kraft stated that much of his time is dedicated to combating hate and antisemitism, and he felt “a responsibility to stand up when I believe that line has been crossed.”
Macklemore denies being antisemitic, arguing that equating antisemitism with criticism of Israel’s actions is an attempt to shield Israel from accountability.
