Macklemore Removed from Ed Sheeran Tour Following Onstage Statements Supporting Palestine

Macklemore has been removed from the remainder of Ed Sheeran’s stadium tour after several venues reportedly informed the tour's promoter that they would not permit the rapper to perform. This decision follows Macklemore's onstage statements advocating for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, where he called for a "free Palestine." In a statement shared with Rolling Stone, Messina Touring Group, the promoter for Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour, stated: "As the concert promoter for Ed Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour, we have been notified by venues on the upcoming U.S. tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans. After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates." Macklemore was scheduled to perform at eight of the ten remaining shows on the U.S. leg of Sheeran’s tour, which is set to resume on September 19, 2026, in Philadelphia. The venues that reportedly objected to Macklemore include Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Representatives for Sheeran and most venues did not respond to requests for comment. In an Instagram statement, Macklemore claimed he was dropped from the tour after Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, pressured Sheeran. Macklemore stated, "Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium. Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues." Kraft confirmed that he made the decision to bar Macklemore from performing at Gillette Stadium, citing Macklemore's "recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran’s shows in New Jersey, and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community." However, Kraft did not address the claim that he rallied other stadium owners to pressure Sheeran. Macklemore, who has been an outspoken supporter of Palestinians for several years, joined the Loop Tour earlier in September, performing two shows at MetLife Stadium on September 4 and 5. During the first show, he called out "Free Palestine" and expressed solidarity with people in Gaza and the West Bank, showing images of the devastation in Gaza and performing his protest song, "Hind’s Hall." He stated, "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.’" This led to criticism from pro-Israel groups, with StopAntisemitism accusing him of presenting "anti-Israel propaganda." Pink, a fellow artist, amplified this criticism but later clarified that she did not support silencing Macklemore. The Israeli American Council also launched a petition demanding Sheeran remove Macklemore from the tour, citing concerns over the use of a concert platform for a one-sided political agenda. At the second MetLife show, Macklemore reiterated his calls for a "Free Palestine" and addressed Jewish audience members, stating, "Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you. My message is for peace; love for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality." Most of the venues that reportedly objected to Macklemore did not respond to requests for comments regarding their objections.