Macklemore dropped from Ed Sheeran tour over pro-Palestinian remarks

Pop star Ed Sheeran said on Tuesday that the decision to remove US rapper Macklemore from his American concert tour over his pro-Palestinian remarks was made by the tour’s promoter, not him, as several other performers announced they were leaving the tour in solidarity with the rapper and Palestinians. Macklemore was dropped from Sheeran’s US tour after saying “Free Palestine” and making other pro-Palestinian remarks during a September 4 concert in New Jersey. Sheeran said he respected Macklemore’s willingness to speak out for his beliefs but distinguished his own approach to political issues. “Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision; it was not mine, ” Sheeran said in an Instagram post. He said he respected Macklemore’s “strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes”, but added that he preferred not to use his “professional platform for politics”. The decision has prompted several artists involved in Sheeran’s tour to withdraw. Opening acts Finneas, Danish band Lukas Graham and singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe said on Tuesday they would no longer perform, while Sheeran’s touring band Beoga also announced its departure. They expressed support for Macklemore and solidarity with Palestinians. Messina Touring Group, the promoter of the US leg of Sheeran’s Loop Tour, told Rolling Stone that venue owners for upcoming dates had informed promoters they would not allow concerts to go ahead with Macklemore on the lineup. Macklemore has long expressed support for Palestinians and criticised Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and its occupation of the West Bank. In 2024, the Grammy-winning rapper released Hind’s Hall, a protest song supporting pro-Palestinian demonstrators and commemorating Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed in Gaza. Earlier this month, Macklemore said one of the reasons he wanted to join the tour was to use his performances to voice support for Palestinians. “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 said during the New Jersey concert. Macklemore was scheduled to perform at eight of the remaining 10 shows on Sheeran’s stadium tour, which is due to resume on September 19 in Philadelphia, according to Variety. The Israeli-American Council had launched a petition calling on Sheeran to remove Macklemore from the tour. Macklemore said New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft had rallied support among some stadium owners and told Sheeran they would not allow the rapper to perform at their venues if he remained on the tour. Kraft said in a statement to US media that he was dedicated to fighting hate and antisemitism and felt a responsibility to speak out when he believed that line had been crossed. Macklemore has denied being antisemitic, saying that equating criticism of Israel’s actions with antisemitism was aimed at avoiding accountability for Israel.

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