Macklemore says his removal from Ed Sheeran’s remaining U.S. Loop Tour dates was the result of pressure over his public support for Palestine, offering his most detailed account yet of the decision. In a lengthy Instagram statement on September 14, the rapper said Sheeran told him stadium owners had been given an ultimatum: remove Macklemore from the tour or lose access to their venues.
According to Macklemore, the dispute escalated after Sheeran told him that Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and the Kraft Group, had contacted him about the upcoming show at Gillette Stadium. Macklemore claimed Kraft said he would not be allowed to perform at the venue and had rallied other stadium owners to take the same position, leaving Ed Sheeran with a choice over whether to keep him on the bill.
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The account follows Macklemore’s appearances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4 and 5, where he used his opening sets to speak about the war in Gaza and urge the audience to say “Free Palestine.” He also performed “Hind’s Hall,” his 2024 protest song inspired by demonstrations connected to the Israel-Gaza war. The comments sparked immediate backlash from Jewish advocacy organizations, including StopAntisemitism and the Israeli-American Council, which called for his removal from the tour.
Rolling Stone reported earlier Monday that Macklemore had been dropped from the remaining U.S. dates. The tour promoter subsequently confirmed the decision, saying 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 fans. After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore was removed from the remaining support dates.
Macklemore’s statement provides additional detail about the conversations that preceded the decision. He said Ed Sheeran described the words “Free Palestine” and the Palestinian flag as “hurtful to a lot of people,” while maintaining his public position of not taking sides. Macklemore responded by arguing that the suffering of Palestinians could not be separated from the decision over whether he should use his platform to speak.
The rapper also addressed accusations of antisemitism, arguing that criticism of the Israeli government, opposition to Zionism or support for Palestinian liberation should not automatically be treated as hatred toward Jewish people. He acknowledged that antisemitism is real while criticizing what he described as the use of the accusation to shut down political criticism.
The controversy has involved several other artists. P!nk, who is Jewish, amplified a post criticizing Macklemore before later explaining that she had reposted another person’s wording and would not necessarily have used every phrase herself. Boy George also criticized Ed Sheeran for allowing Macklemore to make the statements from the tour stage, while Sheeran has not publicly addressed the controversy in detail.
Despite the fallout, Macklemore framed his relationship with Sheeran as separate from their disagreement. The pair have known each other for 13 years, and Macklemore said he hopes their friendship can survive the dispute and that conversations about Palestine can continue. He also insisted that he did not need the tour itself as much as he valued the opportunity to reach stadium audiences.
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