Macklemore was pulled from Ed Sheeran’s tour, and the rapper claims a billionaire NFL owner led the charge to silence him
Neutrality is political.
Ed Sheeran has caved to political pressure and officially dropped Macklemore from his U.S. Loop Tour after the rapper called for a free Palestine onstage. Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, has been an outspoken advocate for Palestinians. He was dropped from the remainder of the tour after several stadium venues reportedly refused to host him.
According to The Guardian, the decision followed Macklemore’s performances at MetLife Stadium on September 4 and 5, 2026, where he performed his protest song, Hind’s Hall, and explicitly voiced his support for the people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The promoter, Messina Touring Group, said they were notified by various venues that they would not permit a concert to proceed with Macklemore on the lineup. It said the situation posed a risk of total tour cancellation.
Macklemore shared his perspective on the situation through a detailed statement on Instagram. He alleged that the pressure began when New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who owns Gillette Stadium, reached out to Ed Sheeran. Kraft told Sheeran that he would not be allowed to perform at the venue. The rapper alleged that Kraft rallied other stadium owners to issue an ultimatum to Sheeran, threatening to block the entire tour from their venues if Macklemore remained on the bill.
Robert Kraft confirmed his stance
According to ESPN, the 85-year-old owner stated that he decided to remove Macklemore because the stadium maintains a commitment to providing a welcoming environment for all guests and events there ‘do not provide a platform for hate speech’. Kraft argued that the rapper’s actions crossed a line, citing a history of rhetoric he characterized as offensive to the Jewish community.
While acknowledging the suffering of Palestinians, Kraft argued that advocacy should not come at the expense of Jewish people or ignore the actions of Hamas. He noted that he would welcome a conversation with the rapper to discuss the facts and their shared goals for peace.
The fallout has triggered a significant response from other artists and public figures. Billboard reports that Ms. Rachel, the popular children’s educator, took to Instagram to criticize the decision. She argued that Sheeran had an opportunity to stand against the bullying of artists for their political expressions. She emphasized that silence during a genocide is not neutral and expressed disappointment that the tour caved to outside pressure.
The rock band Garbage also weighed in on the situation, calling the removal of the artist madness. They argued that the decision was unjust and defended the rapper’s comments as being focused on the treatment of Palestinians rather than expressing hatred toward Jewish people. Similarly, the group MUNA shared their support on social media, labeling the effort to silence speech about the conflict as pathetic.
All it took was Macklemore standing up for the victims in Palestine
The controversy over Macklemore’s performances began shortly after his appearance at MetLife Stadium. During those shows, he made it clear that his criticism of Israel was not directed at Jewish individuals. He stated, “Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you.” Despite this, pro-Israel groups, including the Israeli American Council, had launched a petition calling for his removal from the tour.
StopAntisemitism also criticized the rapper, an accusation further amplified by the singer Pink. After receiving much criticism herself, Pink said she did not object to his calls for a free Palestine but expressed that his rhetoric caused fear for her and her community.
The list of affected venues includes major stadiums across the country, such as Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, AT&T Stadium in Arlington, and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. While some of these venues are privately owned, others are owned or operated by government entities, which has sparked some discussion regarding potential First Amendment implications.
Macklemore ensured his statement left no room for doubt
The rapper emphasized that he does not view himself as a victim in this. He wrote, “The victims are the Palestinian people. The men, women and children who have been killed, starved, displaced and forced to live through unimaginable violence.” He also maintained that his friendship with Ed Sheeran remains intact despite their fundamental disagreement. Macklemore described Sheeran as a brother and noted that he hopes the two can continue having difficult conversations in the future.
He did call Sheeran out for his neutrality saying the singer couldn’t get past his public facing, “I don’t take sides.” Macklemore added, “Taking a side can cost you. Money, brand deals, sponsorships, festivals, private shows, relationships and access. I’ve lost all of those things. But there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed. When one side has the bombs and bottomless financial and military support from America, refusing to take a side doesn’t leave you in the middle.”
His 12-slide post concluded with, “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.”
The post saw significant engagement, with over 4.5 million likes and hundreds of thousands of comments. Prominent voices, including activists Motaz Azaiza, Greta Thunberg and Alana Hadid expressed their solidarity with him. Celebrities like Kehlani and Paloma Faith also expressed solidarity. As of September 15, the tour is set to continue with remaining support acts Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe. The U.S. leg will wrap up on November 7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
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