Macklemore Removed From Ed Sheeran Tour Over Pro-Palestine Stance

American rapper Macklemore has been removed from Ed Sheeran’s ongoing US tour after several venues reportedly refused to host him over his outspoken support for Palestine.

The decision was confirmed by Messina Touring Group, the promoter of Sheeran’s tour, which said some venues had informed organisers that they would not allow concerts featuring Macklemore on the lineup.

The promoter said keeping him on the tour could have resulted in the cancellation of shows and affected hundreds of thousands of fans. Following discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore was therefore removed from the remaining support dates.

Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, also confirmed that Macklemore would not perform at the venue on September 25 and 26.

Kraft cited what he described as Macklemore’s recent performances and a broader history of “antisemitic rhetoric and imagery” as reasons for the decision. He said the move was not intended to deny Palestinians the right to advocacy but argued that such advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community.

Macklemore, however, said he believed his support for Palestinians was the reason he was removed from Sheeran’s tour. In an Instagram statement, he claimed Sheeran informed him that Kraft had barred him from performing at Gillette Stadium.

He also alleged that Kraft had urged other stadium owners to prevent him from appearing at their venues if he remained on the tour.

Macklemore said he and Sheeran, who he described as a close friend of 13 years, had held several difficult conversations over the controversy.

The dispute intensified after Macklemore performed at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4 and 5, where he expressed support for Palestinians and performed his protest song “Hind’s Hall”, which was inspired by pro-Palestinian student protests over the Gaza war.

An Israeli American Council petition subsequently called for his removal from Sheeran’s tour, while singer Pink also reposted criticism of Macklemore’s performance.

Macklemore said he did not regret speaking out and ended his statement by reaffirming his support for Palestinians.

Neither Ed Sheeran nor his press office has publicly commented on Macklemore’s account, and Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify some of his claims.

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