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SHAH ALAM – American rapper Macklemore said he had been removed from Ed Sheeran’s US Loop Tour after several venues objected to his public support for Palestine.
In a statement posted on Threads, Macklemore said: “Ed Sheeran and his team have made the decision to remove me from The Loop tour.”
He said the decision came after venues objected to his participation, including following his performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sept 4.
During the performance, Macklemore called for a “Free Palestine”, displayed footage related to the war in Gaza and performed his protest song Hind’s Hall.
Macklemore said Sheeran told him that the words “Free Palestine” and the image of the Palestinian flag were “hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with”.
“At a certain level of exposure, ‘Free Palestine’ becomes too much of a risk,” Macklemore said.
Macklemore also alleged that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft had pressured Sheeran over his participation in the tour.
According to Macklemore, Sheeran told him that Kraft had objected to his performance at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts and had “rallied some of the other stadium owners”, who collectively gave Sheeran an ultimatum: “If Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.”
Macklemore was scheduled to perform at eight of the remaining 10 US dates on the tour.
He said the decision was difficult because of his friendship with Sheeran, but maintained that he would continue speaking out for Palestinians.
Macklemore also rejected accusations of antisemitism, saying his support for Palestine was not directed at Jewish people. He maintained that criticism of Israel and support for Palestine should not be equated with hatred of Jewish people.
He has been vocal in his support for Palestinians since the war in Gaza began. In 2024, he released Hind’s Hall, a song inspired by pro-Palestinian protests and the killing of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl, in Gaza City.
