Macklemore has been dropped from Ed Sheeran's US tour following pro-Palestinian comments he made on stage at two shows earlier this month.
The Seattle rapper, real name Benjamin Haggerty, had been the opening act for Sheeran's Loop Tour, but came under fire from select Jewish groups after saying "Free Palestine" during his performance at Sheeran's concert on September 4 at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
He told the audience: "A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so that I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very, very dear to my heart: Free Palestine."
The longtime pro-Palestine activist then performed his 2024 protest song Hind’s Hall, which is about Israel's military action in Gaza in response to a Hamas-led attack on Israel in late 2023, though the Gaza–Israel conflict dates back to the 1940s.
Despite venue owners and Jewish groups accusing him of ambushing fans with "anti-Israel propaganda", Macklemore doubled down the following night, addressing his "Jewish brothers and sisters" in the audience before another speech, saying that the real victims are the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank had not been forgotten.
Macklemore stood by his comments yesterday (September 14), revealing in a statement posted to Instagram that he had been cut from the tour and writing that the real victims are the Palestinian people in Gaza.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has also shared a statement via The Mirror US regarding his involvement in the removal of Macklemore from the tour. He explained that the Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, which his Kraft Group owns, "do not provide a platform for hate speech" and that they felt the performer's actions had been "deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community", so would not allow the show to go ahead with him as support. Read the full statement here.
The controversy also drew US singer P!nk, who is Jewish, into the furore after she reposted a message criticising Macklemore. She has since addressed the backlash with her own post on Instagram.
Amid the drama, Sheeran, who has not yet commented, will continue his Loop Tour with a performance at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday (September 19), with dates continuing through to early November. A replacement for Macklemore has not yet been announced.
Sheeran released his latest album, 'Play', last September, which he has been supporting with dates spanning Australia, New Zealand, Latin and North America throughout the year. Macklemore put out his most recent album, 'BEN', in 2023.
UPDATE: Ed Sheeran has released a statement via Instagram, the last paragraph of which reads: "I have spent this week trying to build bridges, to find a solution and unfortunately, was unable to do so. I know who I am, both as a person and as an artist, and those who know my heart know my values too."
Ed Sheeran Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows
Sat September 19 2026 - PHILADELPHIA Pennsylvania - Lincoln Financial Field (USA)
Fri September 25 2026 - FOXBOROUGH Massachusetts - Gillette Stadium (USA)
Sat September 26 2026 - FOXBOROUGH Massachusetts - Gillette Stadium (USA)
Sat October 03 2026 - ATLANTA Georgia - Mercedes-Benz Stadium (USA)
Sat October 10 2026 - INDIANAPOLIS Indiana - Lucas Oil Stadium (USA)
Sat October 17 2026 - CHARLOTTE North Carolina - Bank Of America Stadium (USA)
Sat October 24 2026 - ARLINGTON Texas - AT&T Stadium (USA)
Thu October 29 2026 - HOLLYWOOD Florida - Hard Rock Live At The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Hollywood (USA)
Fri October 30 2026 - HOLLYWOOD Florida - Hard Rock Live At The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Hollywood (USA)
Sat November 07 2026 - TAMPA Florida - Raymond James Stadium (USA)
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