US rapper Macklemore has been removed from the remaining US dates of Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour after making pro-Palestinian remarks during performances at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. Macklemore announced his removal from the tour in a lengthy Instagram statement on September 14, saying he and Sheeran had held “some difficult conversations this past week” before Sheeran and his team decided to remove him from the tour. The controversy followed Macklemore’s performances at MetLife Stadium on September 4 and 5.
During a speech between songs on September 4, the Grammy-winning rapper called for a “Free Palestine” and said he wanted people in Gaza and the “occupied West Bank” to know that they had not been forgotten. Macklemore also performed Hind’s Hall, his 2024 protest song inspired by pro-Palestinian student demonstrations and named in memory of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed in Gaza. Messina Touring Group, the promoter of the US leg of Sheeran’s tour, confirmed Macklemore’s removal, saying several venues had informed the organizers that they would not allow concerts to proceed with the rapper on the lineup.
The Israeli-American Council had launched a petition calling for Macklemore to be removed from the tour following his MetLife performances. The campaign cited his longstanding criticism of Israel and his support for Palestinians. In his Instagram statement, Macklemore claimed that New England Patriots owner and billionaire Robert Kraft played a central role in his removal.
According to the rapper, Sheeran told him that Kraft had barred him from performing at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts and had contacted other stadium owners, allegedly telling them that Sheeran would not be allowed to perform at their venues if Macklemore remained on the tour. Kraft, who owns and operates Gillette Stadium, confirmed that Macklemore would not perform at the venue, citing what he described as the rapper’s recent performances and a broader history of “antisemitic rhetoric and imagery.” “This decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf,” Kraft said. Macklemore has denied being antisemitic and argued that criticism of Israel’s actions should not be conflated with antisemitism.
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