Macklemore has been removed from the remaining US dates of Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour after speaking in support of Palestine from the stage at MetLife Stadium.
by Paul Cashmere
Macklemore has been removed from the remaining US dates of Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour after telling audiences at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium to “Free Palestine”, with tour promoter Messina Touring Group confirming that venues had refused to host concerts with the rapper on the lineup. The decision has exposed a wider dispute over political expression at major stadium concerts, while Macklemore has alleged that billionaire Robert Kraft pressured Sheeran and other venue owners to remove him.
Macklemore made the comments during his September 4 and 5 appearances at MetLife Stadium, where he performed his protest song “Hind’s Hall”. He told the audience that one reason he wanted to join the tour was to stand on major American stages and say “two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine”.
“I want those words to be loud and clear so the people from Gaza all the way to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten them,” he said.
At his second MetLife performance, Macklemore directly addressed Jewish members of the audience.
“Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you,” he said. “My message is for peace, love, for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality.”
Messina Touring Group subsequently said it had been notified by venues that they would not allow concerts to proceed with Macklemore on the bill. The promoter said retaining him could have resulted in cancellation of the remaining shows and affected hundreds of thousands of fans.
Macklemore was scheduled to appear at eight of the final 10 US dates.
The rapper subsequently published a lengthy statement in which he said Sheeran, a friend of 13 years, had told him that Robert Kraft had objected to his appearance at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts. Macklemore further alleged that Kraft had rallied other stadium owners and that Sheeran was given an ultimatum: “If Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.”
Kraft has confirmed that Macklemore was barred from Gillette Stadium, but has not confirmed Macklemore’s allegation that he organised a collective ultimatum involving other stadium owners.
Kraft said the decision was based on Macklemore’s recent performances and what he described as “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery” that he believed had been offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community. Kraft also said the decision was not intended to diminish Palestinian suffering or deny the right to advocate for Palestinians.
Sheeran has not publicly offered his own account of the decision.
Macklemore said Sheeran had been placed in a difficult position but criticised what he described as the singer’s “public-facing, ‘I don’t take sides'” position.
“He knew it,” Macklemore wrote. “His typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before.”
The dispute has also raised questions about the different standards applied to artists appearing at major American stadiums.
Gillette Stadium hosted Morgan Wallen in 2025 despite the country singer having been filmed using a racial slur in 2021. The incident resulted in Wallen being suspended by his record label and removed from hundreds of radio stations, but it did not prevent his subsequent return to major stadium touring.
Gillette also hosted Chris Brown in August 2026. Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault against Rihanna in 2009 and was sentenced to probation, community service and domestic violence counselling.
The comparison does not establish that those artists committed equivalent acts to the conduct attributed to Macklemore. It does, however, illustrate the different considerations that can apply when venues assess whether an artist remains suitable for a major commercial event.
The same question applies to Ye, formerly known as Kanye West. Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, one of the venues scheduled to host the final leg of Sheeran’s tour, hosted Ye earlier this year despite his long record of antisemitic statements and other controversial public conduct.
Macklemore’s position is that his statements were directed at government policy and the treatment of Palestinians, not Jewish people. His comments also extended beyond Israel and Palestine, with calls for freedom in Lebanon, Cuba, Congo and Sudan and criticism of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
His 2024 song “Hind’s Hall” became a defining part of his public advocacy over Gaza. The song was inspired by pro-Palestinian student demonstrations at Columbia University and was followed by “Hind’s Hall 2”.
The controversy therefore extends beyond one opening act losing eight performances. It raises a question about who ultimately determines what can be said from a commercial concert stage when an artist’s political position becomes unacceptable to a venue, its ownership or its stakeholders.
For Macklemore, the issue is one of consistency. He has argued that remaining silent carries its own consequences and that his position has cost him professional opportunities.
“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 wrote.
Sheeran’s Loop Tour will continue across the United States without Macklemore. Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe remain scheduled as support acts.
Macklemore’s removal has established a significant distinction between an artist’s right to express a political position and a venue’s commercial right to determine who performs on its stage. The unresolved issue is whether that distinction is being applied consistently across the music industry.
Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial.
Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial. pic.twitter.com/BOJ9xMoIZn
— Macklemore (@macklemore) September 7, 2026
Macklemore’s dumped Tour Dates
September 19, Philadelphia, Lincoln Financial Field
September 25, Foxborough, Gillette Stadium
September 26, Foxborough, Gillette Stadium
October 3, Atlanta, Mercedes-Benz Stadium
October 10, Indianapolis, Lucas Oil Stadium
October 17, Charlotte, Bank of America Stadium
October 24, Arlington, AT&T Stadium
November 7, Tampa, Raymond James Stadium
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