Macklemore has been dropped from the remaining U.S. dates of Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour following his onstage “Free Palestine” statements, according to a report from Rolling Stone. The decision comes less than two weeks after the rapper used his opening sets at MetLife Stadium to deliver a political speech about the war in Gaza and perform his protest song “Hind’s Hall.”
According to Rolling Stone, the decision followed concerns from venues on the remaining U.S. itinerary. A statement from the concert promoter said venues had indicated they “will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup,” warning that the alternative could have been cancellation of the tour and an impact on hundreds of thousands of ticket holders. After discussions with the relevant stakeholders, Macklemore will no longer perform the remaining support dates.
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The controversy began during Sheeran’s September 4 and 5 shows at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where Macklemore was scheduled to open. Rather than limiting his appearance to his music, he told the stadium crowd that one reason he joined the tour was to have a platform to say “Free Palestine” inside American stadiums. He also said people in Gaza and the West Bank had not been forgotten before performing “Hind’s Hall,” his 2024 protest track inspired by demonstrations over the Israel-Gaza war.
Macklemore’s remarks quickly divided concertgoers and drew criticism from Jewish advocacy organizations. StopAntisemitism and the Israeli-American Council accused the rapper of presenting disputed political claims as fact and called for his removal from the remaining shows. Macklemore did not retract the speech, instead sharing footage of the performance online alongside a message arguing that wanting equal treatment for all people should not be controversial.
The fallout expanded when P!nk, who is Jewish, reshared a StopAntisemitism post criticizing Macklemore. The singer later addressed the backlash herself, explaining that she had reposted someone else’s wording and would not have chosen every phrase in the original message. P!nk also referenced her decade as a UNICEF ambassador and her experiences meeting children affected by conflict, while saying that she believes Hamas is a terrorist organization and that Palestinians deserve a future that recognizes their humanity.
Boy George separately criticized Sheeran for allowing the performance, posting an AI-generated image mocking the singer and questioning his decision to have Macklemore on the bill. Sheeran himself has not publicly commented on the controversy, while Macklemore continued to be listed on the tour until the latest decision.
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