Macklemore Removed from Ed Sheeran Tour After 'Free Palestine' Statement
Rapper Macklemore has been removed from Ed Sheeran’s “The Loop” tour following a pro-Palestinian statement he made during a September 4 concert at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Tour promoter Messina Touring Group announced on September 14 that Macklemore would not perform on any of the remaining tour dates.
The Statement That Sparked the Dispute
During the MetLife Stadium show, Macklemore addressed the crowd with remarks in support of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. “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,” he told the audience, before saying “Free Palestine.” He added that he wanted Palestinians to know “we have not forgotten about them.”
The statement was not an improvised aside. Macklemore framed it as a deliberate reason for joining the tour, positioning the support slot as a platform for political expression.
Robert Kraft’s Role
Much of what followed traced back to Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts — one of the remaining tour venues. Kraft, according to Macklemore, coordinated with other stadium owners, delivering an ultimatum: if Macklemore remained on the tour, those venues would not allow Sheeran to perform.
Kraft released a statement defending the action. He said the decision involved what he called Macklemore’s “broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery” and added that he felt an obligation to act when “that line has been crossed.” He also said the decision was “not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf.”
Sheeran’s Position and the Tour Decision
Ed Sheeran has not made any public statement. According to reporting, he and Macklemore had “difficult conversations” in the days that followed the MetLife performance, but Sheeran has maintained a public stance of not weighing in. The removal was announced by Messina Touring Group: “After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates.”
Macklemore had been scheduled for eight of the tour’s ten remaining shows. The tour is set to resume September 19 in Philadelphia.
Macklemore Disputes the Antisemitism Claim
Macklemore pushed back sharply on the characterization of his remarks as antisemitic. He argued that equating criticism of the Israeli government with hatred of Jewish people is a rhetorical move designed to suppress accountability. Singer Jane Fonda is among the public figures who has delivered politically charged statements at major live events, drawing both praise and criticism; in Macklemore’s case, the consequences reached further, affecting his ability to perform at all. Pink reposted commentary criticizing the removal and calling for an apology and ticket refunds.
The Israeli American Council, which had circulated a petition calling for Macklemore’s removal from the tour, welcomed the announcement.
A Pattern of Political Outspokenness
Macklemore has made political advocacy a central part of his public work for several years. He released “Hind’s Hall,” a protest song addressing pro-Palestinian student activism on college campuses, and has repeatedly used his platform to speak about Gaza. His decision to join the Sheeran tour — one of the summer’s largest stadium runs, in the same tier as the arena-filling residency model being explored by artists like Taylor Swift — appeared to be calculated: large crowds, high visibility, a guaranteed audience.
Whether that strategy cost him more than it gained remains an open question. He lost eight shows and a major platform. He also ensured that his position on the conflict was heard by stadiums full of people at one of the year’s most-watched tours.
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