Macklemore has been dropped from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour after the rapper proclaimed “Free Palestine” during a concert in New Jersey, a decision that affects the tour’s Nov. 7 stop in Tampa.
The tour closes its North American leg on Nov. 7 at Raymond James Stadium.
In June, the publicly owned venue hosted two shows by Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, who has a history of antisemitic statements. For nearly a month, Sen. Rick Scott led an unsuccessful campaign to cancel those shows.
Macklemore said on Instagram that several U.S. venues, led by Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium in suburban Boston, told the promoter they would prohibit him from performing as Sheeran's opening act.
"Collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues," the rapper wrote.
As a result, he wrote, Sheeran's team decided to remove him from the tour. That's despite the fact that the rapper — best known for his breakout hit “Thrift Shop” and the same-sex marriage anthem “Same Love” — has been making similar comments for years.
“So why is it an issue now? Because I’m sharing a stage with one of the biggest artists in the world, in some of the biggest stadiums in America,” Macklemore wrote. “At a certain level of exposure, ‘Free Palestine’ becomes too much of a risk.”
The promoter, Messina Touring Group, confirmed that it was notified by venues that “they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans.”
According to Macklemore, Sheeran was under pressure from stadium owners rallied by Kraft. Sheeran is still slated to play at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 25-26.
The Tampa Sports Authority, which manages Raymond James Stadium, issued a statement to local media confirming Macklemore would not perform. It's unlikely the agency requested the rapper be dropped, considering its stance with the Ye concerts.
Before the Tampa shows, European venues had canceled Ye performances over his previous antisemitic and pro-Nazi statements, although he apologized earlier in the year.
The concert scheduling drew bipartisan opposition for nearly a month from Scott, St. Petersburg mayoral candidate and former Gov. Charlie Crist, the Florida Holocaust Museum, Holocaust survivors, Jewish leaders, the Florida National Organization for Women, and several other state politicians and civic leaders.
The sports authority, which manages the NFL stadium, said it did not condone Ye's remarks but was obligated to respect his free speech.
Later, it was learned there was a non-standard clause in Ye’s contract that said the agency could not cancel or interfere with the concerts “based upon artist identity, prior or past public statements, public perception, political viewpoints, or the anticipated or actual content of the performance.”
Kraft says, 'Our goal is the same – peace'
Kraft, who also owns the NFL's New England Patriots, said the decision to remove Macklemore was a result of the rapper's recent comments “and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply 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. Their pain and loss are real,” Kraft said in a statement.
A growing chorus of organizations and experts say Israel’s wartime actions in Gaza in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks amount to genocide, an accusation Israel vehemently rejects.
Kraft, who is Jewish, created the nonprofit Blue Square Alliance Against Hate to combat antisemitism in 2019.
“I would welcome the opportunity to sit down with Macklemore and discuss the facts, because ultimately our goal is the same – peace for all people, an end to suffering, and an end to all hate,” Kraft wrote.
Macklemore’s advocacy “should not come at the expense of the Jewish community or obscure the responsibility of Hamas."
The controversy grew after Macklemore, a known supporter of Palestinian rights for several years, spoke between songs during a Sept. 4 show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., just west of New York City.
“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," he told the crowd.
“To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters, criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, it in no way is criticism of you. This message is for peace, love, for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality.”
Thes two-minute speech brought condemnation from several Jewish advocacy groups.
In an online petition, the Israeli-American Council called on venues to keep Sheeran's tour "about music - not political propaganda," and cited Macklemore's "selective imagery, biased messaging and disputed claims.”
The petition expresses concern about the performance of "Hind’s Hall" while images from "Gaza and other political messaging were projected across the stadium screens."
"Hind's Hall," written following the 2024 campus protests in support of Palestinians, is named for Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed after Israeli forces fired on her family’s car in Gaza City.
After the decision to drop Macklemore from the tour, the council posted on Facebook: "Tens of thousands signed. Millions saw our message. Together, we spoke up. Together, we made an impact."
Macklemore's comments also drew criticism from singer Pink, who herself drew backlash.
On social media, Pink said she did not object to the rapper saying “free Palestine” but added, “What I need is to be able to say, as a Jewish mom, ‘that scared me, and it scared people I love,’ without being told our fear is just propaganda, and without being told I’m somehow cool with genocide because I noticed?”
Meantime, the Council on Islamic Relations called for the stadiums to "reverse course."
“Privately owned sports stadiums should never threaten to ban musicians because they dare to oppose a genocide, and publicly owned stadiums entities cannot engage in such censorship without violating the First Amendment,” the CAIR statement said.
Sheerhan's 'apolitical stance'
Sheeran has not commented and representatives for the singer did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment about the Macklemore situation.
Macklemore, born Benjamin Hammond Haggerty in Washington state, said he holds no ill will toward Sheeran, who he considers a friend.
“His typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before," Macklemore wrote on Instragram. "He told me that the words 'Free Palestine' and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with. I told him that if those words were more offensive than tens of thousands of Palestinian children being killed by Israel, then there was a fundamental disconnect between where those people stood and where I stood. But he couldn’t get past his public facing, 'I don’t take sides.'
“And I get why people don’t. 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.”
In addition to Foxborough and Tampa, remaining U.S. stadiums on Sheeran's tour are Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia; Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta; Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis; Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte; and AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Two shows are also scheduled Oct. 29-30 at Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Broward County.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
