Macklemore dropped from Ed Sheeran’s US tour after ‘Free Palestine’ speech

Rapper Macklemore has been dropped from Ed Sheeran’s US tour after making pro-Palestinian comments on stage.

The rapper, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, had been the opening act for Sheeran’s Loop tour. He was criticised by Jewish groups after saying “Free Palestine” at two concerts and making political speeches.

Macklemore confirmed on Monday that he had been removed from the tour. In a statement, he said the real victims were the Palestinian people in Gaza. Ed Sheeran has not commented on the matter. It is not yet known who will replace Macklemore for the rest of the tour.

The controversy began on September 4, when Macklemore performed at Sheeran’s concert at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. He told the audience, “A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so that I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very, very dear to my heart: Free Palestine.”

He then performed his song “Hind’s Hall”, which condemns Israel’s military action in Gaza. Footage showing the devastation in Gaza was also displayed on the big screen. After the performance, campaign group StopAntisemitism criticised Macklemore. “Jewish fans bought tickets to see Ed Sheeran sing… not to be ambushed by Macklemore’s anti-Israel propaganda,” the group said.

Macklemore returned to the same stage the following night and said, “Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, is in no way a criticism of you.” He added that he wanted people in Gaza and the West Bank to know that they had not been forgotten.

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The backlash against Macklemore continued to grow. The Israeli-American Council also launched a petition calling on Sheeran to remove him from the tour. “This was an Ed Sheeran concert - not a political rally, not a protest, and not an activist event,” the council said. It accused Macklemore of using biased messaging and disputed claims.

In a nearly 1,000-word statement on Instagram, Macklemore said he had held difficult conversations with Sheeran for a week. He said the discussions ended in a place of fundamental disagreement and that he was subsequently dropped from the tour.

Tour promoter Messina Touring Group told Rolling Stone that venues had informed the company they would not allow Macklemore to perform. It said this could have resulted in the cancellation of the tour and affected hundreds of thousands of fans.

Robert Kraft, the owner of Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, also said he had banned Macklemore from performing at the venue. He said the stadium would not provide a platform for hate speech. 

Macklemore said he understood the difficult position Sheeran was in, but criticised him for not taking a public stance. “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,” he wrote.

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