American rapper Macklemore has been dropped from the remaining dates of Ed Sheeran's U.S. Loop Tour after making pro-Palestine statements and performing a protest song during opening sets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, earlier this month.
The decision was confirmed on September 14, 2026, by both Macklemore and Messina Touring Group, the promoter of the U.S. leg of Sheeran's tour. Macklemore had been scheduled to open eight of the remaining 10 shows, which resume September 19 in Philadelphia.
What happened onstage
During shows on September 4 and 5 at MetLife Stadium, Macklemore (born Ben Haggerty) told the crowd that a major reason he joined the tour was to stand on stadium stages across America and say “two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine.” He added that he wanted people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank to know “we have not forgotten about them.”
He then performed his 2024 protest song “Hind's Hall,” which references pro-Palestine campus protests and is named after Hind Rajab, a young Palestinian girl killed in Gaza. Visuals of destruction in Gaza and related protests were projected on stadium screens. Macklemore also addressed Jewish audience members, stating that criticism of Israel, apartheid, or genocide “is in no way a criticism of you.”
The remarks drew immediate criticism from groups including the Anti-Defamation League, StopAntisemitism, and the Israeli-American Council. The IAC launched a petition urging Sheeran and tour venues to drop Macklemore, arguing that he had turned a music concert into “political propaganda” using “selective imagery, biased messaging and disputed claims.”
Why he was removed
Messina Touring Group stated that multiple venues on upcoming dates notified them they would not allow a concert with Macklemore on the lineup. Continuing with him would have risked canceling the tour and affecting hundreds of thousands of fans. After discussions with stakeholders, the promoter confirmed Macklemore would not perform the remaining support dates.
Venues reported to have objected include Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia), Gillette Stadium ( Foxborough, Massachusetts), Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta), Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis), Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte), AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas), and Raymond James Stadium (Tampa).
In a lengthy Instagram statement, Macklemore said Sheeran and his team made the final decision after difficult conversations. He alleged that Robert Kraft – owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium – told Sheeran that Macklemore would not be allowed to perform there. According to Macklemore, Kraft then rallied other stadium owners, who collectively issued an ultimatum: keep Macklemore on the tour and lose access to their venues.
Macklemore described Sheeran as a longtime friend placed in a “fucked up position.” He said Sheeran reported that the words “Free Palestine” and the Palestinian flag had upset people he spoke with, while maintaining a publicly neutral stance. Macklemore responded that if those words were more offensive than the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinian children, there was a fundamental disconnect.
He framed the outcome as a success on his terms: “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.” Macklemore emphasised that he, Sheeran, and others involved have careers, resources, and safety that many in Gaza lack.