Macklemore has been dropped from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour over his ‘Free Palestine’ remark, which sparked criticism. The tour’s promoter said venues had informed them that they would not allow a concert with Macklemore performing.
On September 4, 2026, at MetLife Stadium, Macklemore called for ‘Free Palestine’. He also shared images of the genocide in Gaza during the performance.
The remarks quickly went viral, and many called them anti-Semitic, including musician Pink. Macklemore pushed back on the backlash, saying his comments were not anti-Semitic.
“As the concert promoter for Ed Sheeran’s US Loop Tour, we have been notified by venues on the upcoming US tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup,” Messina Touring Group, promoter of the tour’s US leg, shared the statement with Rolling Stone.
This would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans. After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates, the group added.
The four-time Grammy winner still had eight shows left out of 10 he was scheduled to perform on the tour.
Macklemore shared a lengthy statement on Instagram responding to the cancellation. He cited that Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, was responsible for rallying the stadium owners.
“Last Monday, in the middle of all the media attention surrounding Pink and what I said at MetLife, 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,” said Macklemore.
Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium. He also told me that Kraft had rallied some 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, he added.
Macklemore revealed that Sheeran was in a difficult position and that the two had conversations, resulting in a fundamental disconnect. The 43-year-old stressed that neither he, Sheeran, nor Pink were victims compared to the Palestinian people.
The rapper also added that he and Sheeran have been friends for over 13 years and hopes the friendship doesn’t end over one disagreement.
“Thirteen years of friendship doesn’t disappear because of one painful disagreement. I hope we both continue listening, studying what is happening in Palestine and wrestling with what neutrality means in a moment like this. My door will always be open to continuing that conversation,” said Macklemore.
