Macklemore dropped from Ed Sheeran's US tour after 'Free Palestine' comments - Mothership
Macklemore said he is not antisemitic and that conflating antisemitism with criticism of Israel's actions is to avoid Israeli accountability.
American rapper and Grammy winner Macklemore has been dropped from singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran's U.S. tour.
Macklemore, 43, wrote on Instagram on Sep. 14 that he and Sheeran, 35, had "some difficult conversations this past week" as he announced the latest development.
This was after Macklemore made "Free Palestine" remarks and pro-Palestinian comments during a Sep. 4 concert at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
In response, venue owners notified promoters that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore in the lineup, Rolling Stone reported.
Messina Touring Group, the promoter of the U.S. leg of Sheeran's Loop Tour, was notified of this requirement.
"After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates," Messina Touring Group said, as reported by U.S. media.
Macklemore was to perform at eight of the 10 shows Sheeran has left on his stadium tour from Sep. 19.
Macklemore had said earlier in September 2026: "A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this 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 that people all the way in Gaza to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten about them," he added during the concert.
In response, the Israeli-American Council started a petition urging Sheeran to remove Macklemore from the tour.
Macklemore said on Instagram that New England Patriots owner and billionaire Robert Kraft told Sheeran that he and other stadium owners will not allow him to perform at their venues if Macklemore stayed on the tour.
Kraft had rallied support among some stadium owners, Macklemore claimed.
Ed told me that Robert Kraft called him. We were scheduled to play Gillette Stadium later this month, which is owned by the Kraft Group. Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium. Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.
In a statement to U.S. media, Kraft said much of his time was dedicated to fighting hate and antisemitism.
He also said he felt "a responsibility to stand up when I believe that line has been crossed".
Macklemore said he is not antisemitic and that conflating antisemitism with criticism of Israel's actions is to avoid Israeli accountability.
Macklemore has been a critic of Israel's assault on Gaza and its occupation of the West Bank.
Macklemore's 2024 song, "Hind's Hall", was in memory of five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab who was killed by Israeli troops in Gaza.
Israel's military said in August 2026 that it had opened a criminal investigation into her killing, but such probes do not lead to convictions, rights groups countered.
