Macklemore will not play the rest of Ed Sheeran’s U.S. stadium tour. On Monday (Sept. 14), the tour’s promoter said venues had told it they would not host concerts with the Seattle rapper on the bill, and Macklemore posted a long statement saying he was removed after owners, led by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, pushed back on his “Free Palestine” remarks.
What happened
Macklemore joined the Loop Tour for two shows at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sept. 4 and 5. On the first night he 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,” per Billboard. He also showed footage from Gaza and performed his protest song “Hind’s Hall.”
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The remarks drew sharp criticism. The Israeli American Council launched a petition asking Sheeran to remove him, and P!nk, who is Jewish, objected publicly, Rolling Stone and Billboard report. Macklemore has said he is criticizing the state of Israel and not Jewish people.
Messina Touring Group, the promoter of the U.S. leg, then announced the removal:
We have been notified by venues on the upcoming U.S. tour dates 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.
Messina Touring Group, Rolling Stone
Macklemore’s account
In an Instagram statement, Macklemore said Sheeran, a friend of 13 years, was in a difficult position and that Kraft, whose family group owns Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, had threatened to block the shows there.
Macklemore@macklemoreInstagramI’m not sure how to start this. So I’m going to speak from the heart and share the truth. Ed Sheeran and his team have made the decision to remove me from The Loop tour.
Sep 14, 2026 · View on Instagram ↗He wrote that Sheeran told him “Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium” and that Kraft had rallied other owners. He added that he is “not a victim,” and that “the victims are the Palestinian people.” Sheeran’s representatives did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone’s request for comment.
Kraft’s response
Kraft confirmed to NBC News that he helped bar Macklemore, citing the rapper’s “recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran’s shows in New Jersey, and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.” He said the decision wasn’t about diminishing Palestinian suffering. Rolling Stone notes that Kraft did not address the claim that he rallied other owners, and Pitchfork reports the promoter named stadiums in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Arlington and Tampa as joining in the objection.
What’s next
The next Loop Tour show is Saturday (Sept. 19) in Philadelphia, with Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe, Macklemore’s co-openers, still on the bill. Sheeran has U.S. dates through Nov. 7 before heading to Latin America with Finneas.
Added to the High Grailed archive on October 12, 2026.
