Macklemore’s brief run on Ed Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour has turned into one of music’s most closely watched controversies of the moment, after the rapper was dropped from the trek following pro-Palestinian comments and an onstage performance of “Hind’s Hall.”
The decision, announced Sept. 14 by the tour’s U.S. promoter, Messina Touring Group, came after Macklemore opened two shows at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sept. 4 and 5. The fallout has since widened to include public statements from Sheeran, Macklemore, Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft, Pink, the Israeli-American Council and several other Loop Tour performers.
The controversy carries added weight because Sheeran and Macklemore had a public musical history before the tour dispute. The two artists, along with Ryan Lewis, released “Growing Up” in 2015, and Macklemore and Sheeran performed “Same Love” together at the iHeartRadio Music Festival the year before.
How the dispute began
Macklemore’s first Loop Tour appearance came Sept. 4 at MetLife Stadium, where he performed “Hind’s Hall” and told the crowd, “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.”
The following night at the same venue, he returned to the subject, adding, “To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you.”
Macklemore has been outspoken in support of Palestinians amid the conflict in Gaza over the past three years. The source material states that, at the time of the performance, the Palestinian death count from the violence had surpassed more than 73,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It also states that the United Nations has declared Israel’s actions genocidal, while Israel and allies including the United States deny that characterization.
On Sept. 6, one day after the MetLife run ended, the Israeli-American Council published a petition calling for Macklemore to be removed from the Loop Tour. “The issue is not whether Macklemore has the right to hold political views,” the petition read. “The question is where the line should be drawn when an opening act uses a global concert platform to advance a one-sided political agenda.”
Macklemore responded Sept. 7 by posting video of one of his speeches on X and writing, “Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial.”
Public pressure builds
Pink entered the conversation on Sept. 11 after criticism over her resharing of a post calling for Macklemore’s removal from the tour. In a statement on Instagram, she wrote, “I was born a Jew. I didn’t pick it, and I’ve never hidden it.” She added that Palestinians “deserve a future that honors their humanity and their aspirations,” while criticizing Macklemore for using the stadium platform in the way he did.
Three days later, Messina Touring Group announced that Macklemore would not continue on the remaining support dates. A spokesperson told Rolling Stone that venues on upcoming U.S. tour dates had notified the promoter they would not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which the spokesperson said would result in cancellation of the tour and affect hundreds of thousands of fans.
After the news became public, Macklemore issued a lengthy Instagram statement in which he expressed empathy for Sheeran, calling him his “brother,” while also challenging what he described as Sheeran’s “I don’t take sides” approach. Macklemore alleged that Sheeran had been pressured by some stadium owners, specifically naming Kraft.
“There is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed,” Macklemore wrote. “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.”
Kraft then responded in his own statement, saying Macklemore’s participation in the Sept. 25 and 26 concerts at Gillette Stadium would have crossed a line. He cited “Macklemore’s recent actions,” material shown from the stage during Sheeran’s New Jersey concerts and what he described as “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery” that he said had been offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.
“This decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf,” Kraft wrote. “Their pain and loss are real. But that advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community.”
Sheeran and the remaining openers respond
On Sept. 15, Sheeran posted a statement on social media captioned, “It’s important that I set out some facts.” He confirmed that Kraft and other venues on upcoming tour dates had communicated they would pull shows if Macklemore remained on the bill. Sheeran said he tried to “build bridges” and “find a solution,” but that “the venue’s and promoter’s decision was final.”
“I respect Macklemore’s strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes,” Sheeran added. “However, there is room for multiple approaches to the same end: peace.”
The IAC, despite having called for Macklemore’s removal, also criticized Sheeran after his statement, saying responsibility for what happens on the tour belongs to Sheeran as well because it is his stage and carries his name.
Within hours of Sheeran’s post, the remaining Loop Tour openers dropped out of their scheduled appearances. Aaron Rowe was the first to announce his exit. Finneas wrote, “I stand with Palestine and its people,” while Lukas Graham wrote, “We should be able to speak about war, about civilians being killed, about children who deserve to grow up.” Beoga, which had been playing a six-song mini-set with Sheeran at Loop shows, also said it would not finish the tour, writing, “To play in venues that silence anyone advocating for Free Palestine is simply not an option for us.”
Donations and Sheeran’s solo return
On Sept. 16, Macklemore announced he would donate the entirety of his Loop Tour earnings — $1 million — to humanitarian organizations aiding Palestinians in need, and challenged Kraft to match it. Kraft later said Sheeran had already called him earlier that day asking him to commit $2 million to match Sheeran’s donation to aid in the region, adding that Sheeran planned to reach out to other venue owners.
Sheeran returned to the Loop Tour on Sept. 19 in Philadelphia, opening the concert at Lincoln Financial Field without Macklemore or any supporting acts. From the stage, he addressed “the question of where I stand in the situation in Israel and Palestine,” calling what happened in Israel and at the Nova Music Festival on Oct. 7 “horrific” and saying what is happening in Gaza is “catastrophic and unjustifiable, and disproportionate.”
“I am already speaking to people across the spectrum to work out how to make a contribution that helps victims of these terrible times, and listening and learning because I do not know enough,” Sheeran told the crowd.