Ed Sheeran said in an Instagram statement on 15 September that the decision to drop rapper Macklemore from his North American Loop tour came from the tour’s promoter, not from him, after the rapper made a “Free Palestine” speech on stage at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, had joined Sheeran’s tour as a support act. During his first appearance on 4 September, he told the crowd he wanted the people of Gaza and “the occupied West Bank” to know “we have not forgotten about them,” then performed his protest song Hind’s Hall as footage of destruction in Gaza played on the big screen.
The next night, 5 September, Macklemore returned to the same stage and addressed Jewish members of the audience directly, saying that “criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide is in no way a criticism of you.”
The remarks drew criticism from Jewish groups, and the Israeli American Council launched a petition calling for the rapper’s removal. Owners of subsequent stadium venues told the tour they would refuse to host the show if Macklemore remained on the bill.
Messina Touring Group, the promoter of the US leg, confirmed Macklemore’s removal from the eight remaining planned dates on Monday. Hours later, Macklemore posted a statement reaffirming his support for Palestine and describing conversations with Sheeran about political activism.
“Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine,” Sheeran wrote, adding that the rapper’s contract had been with the promoter rather than with him. “I would never let down the fans who had made plans, nor would I abandon the touring crew and the other support acts and musicians who rely on me for work and to make a living.”
Sheeran said he had spoken with the venues at length “to try and build a bridge,” but that the decision was ultimately final. He defended his choice not to use his platform for politics, writing that his audience includes young people and children of all backgrounds. “I am not complicit,” he wrote. “I choose to use my fame and platform to be a place of safety and sanctuary.”
Robert Kraft, billionaire owner of Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts and a prominent supporter of Israel, confirmed he had barred Macklemore, saying his venue would not “provide a platform for hate speech.” Kraft, who once hired Sheeran to play at his wedding, accused the rapper of “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric.”
Israel rejects allegations of genocide, saying its troops operate in self-defence in accordance with international law. Its military campaign in Gaza followed the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. More than 73,780 people have since been killed in Gaza, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures the UN considers reliable.
The North American leg of Sheeran’s tour is set to conclude in November at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.