US rapper Macklemore was removed on Monday from the remaining dates of Ed Sheeran’s US stadium tour after several venues allegedly objected to his participation following his public statements of support for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
Macklemore, who has repeatedly spoken out in support of Palestinians and called for a “free Palestine” during performances, had been scheduled to appear at eight of the 10 remaining shows on Sheeran’s US leg of the Loop Tour.
Messina Touring Group, promoter of the US tour, said in a statement to Rolling Stone that it had been notified by venues that they would not allow concerts featuring Macklemore, adding that his participation could have led to the cancellation of the tour and affected hundreds of thousands of fans.
“After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates,” the promoter said.
The venues reportedly objecting to the rapper include Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Sheeran’s tour is scheduled to resume this Friday in Philadelphia.
Macklemore has been an outspoken critic of Israel’s war in Gaza, using his concerts and public appearances to express solidarity with Palestinians and condemn the conflict.
The promoter did not identify which venues had specifically objected to Macklemore’s participation.
‘The victims are the Palestinian people’
The rapper, widely recognized as one half of the hip-hop duo with Ryan Lewis behind hits like “Thrift Shop” and “Can’t Hold Us,” confirmed the removal in a 12-slide Instagram post.
"I'm not sure how to start this. So I'm going to speak from the heart and share the truth. Ed Sheeran and his team have made the decision to remove me from The Loop tour," Macklemore wrote.
Macklemore said the Palestinian people are “the victims.”
“I am not a victim. Ed Sheeran is not a victim. ... The victims are the Palestinian people.”
Macklemore said he and Sheeran, who have been friends for 13 years, had spoken repeatedly over the past week and remained fundamentally divided over the issue.
According to Macklemore, Sheeran told him that British music executive and philanthropist Robert Kraft had contacted him after Macklemore’s remarks at MetLife Stadium. Macklemore said Sheeran told him Kraft had indicated the rapper would not be permitted to perform at Gillette Stadium, which is owned by the Kraft Group.
Macklemore further alleged that Kraft had spoken with other stadium owners, who collectively warned Sheeran that he would lose access to their venues if Macklemore remained on the tour.
"Ed was in a f**ked up position. He knew it. His typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before. He told me that the words 'Free Palestine' and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with.
"I told him that if those words were more offensive than tens of thousands of Palestinian children being killed by Israel, then there was a fundamental disconnect between where those people stood and where I stood. But he couldn’t get past his public-facing, 'I don’t take sides'," he said.
Macklemore said he understood why artists might hesitate to take a public position on the conflict, pointing to the potential consequences for sponsorships, brand partnerships, festivals, private performances, and professional relationships.
But he rejected the idea that remaining publicly neutral amounted to standing between two equal sides.
“What I said at MetLife I have been saying on stages around the world for almost three years,” Macklemore wrote. “So why is it an issue now?”
Macklemore suggested that allowing his pro-Palestinian remarks to continue from major stadium stages could encourage other artists to speak out.
“The stage becomes resistance. Maybe that's why this time it became so important to silence me,” he wrote.
Macklemore also addressed accusations of antisemitism, saying that antisemitism is "real" but arguing that criticism of the Israeli government and expressions of support for Palestinians should not automatically be characterized as hatred toward Jewish people.
The rapper said his comments were not intended to attack Sheeran personally and expressed hope that the dispute would not end their friendship.
“Thirteen years of friendship doesn’t disappear because of one painful disagreement,” he said, adding that he remained open to continuing their conversations.
Macklemore concluded by sharing an Arabic phrase his brother Omar used while helping subtitle his MetLife video: “La shukra ala wajeb,” which he translated as “There is no thanks for a duty.”
For Macklemore, he said, speaking about Palestinians has become a responsibility rather than an act of bravery or something deserving praise.
“Not brave. Human,” he wrote.
"Who is winning the internet, who is getting canceled, who gets to play the stadium and who doesn’t, all of it becomes so small when held against what we are actually witnessing in Gaza and the West Bank. An entire people being displaced, starved and killed while the world debates which words we are allowed to use to describe it, how those words make us feel, and whether our discomfort matters more than the people living through a genocide.
"I didn’t need 10 shows from Ed. I needed 2. Two chances to stand in front of 90,000 people and say the words that somehow became too dangerous to say. Free Palestine. But if those words cost me the stage, while turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I’ve ever been on," he concluded.
