The rapper was previously criticized by the singer Pink.

Macklemore breaks silence on being dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour after onstage pro-Palestine statements

The rapper was previously criticized by the singer Pink.

By Daysia Tolentino

Daysia Tolentino

Daysia Tolentino is a writer at *. *She has written for * *since 2025. Her work has appeared in NBC News, Vulture, GQ, and InStyle.

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September 14, 2026 1:39 p.m. ET

Macklemore visits SiriusXM at SiriusXM Studio on Aug. 17, 2022. Credit:

Jamie McCarthy/Getty

- Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s *Loop *tour.

- The rapper claimed that Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, called Sheeran to inform him that Macklemore was not allowed to play at his venue.

- Macklemore made headlines last week after saying, “Free Palestine,” while onstage at Sheeran’s concert in New Jersey.

Macklemore has been dropped from Ed Sheeran’s *Loop *tour after several venues told the tour promoters that they would prohibit the rapper from performing.

The “Thrift Shop” artist confirmed his removal from the tour in an Instagram post on Monday.

“I’m not sure how to start this,” he began his post. “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.”`

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Messina Touring Group, promoter of the U.S. leg of the *Loop* tour, first shared the news to *Rolling Stone.* A representative for Messina did not immediately respond to *’*s request for comment.

“As the concert promoter for Ed Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour, 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,” the touring group told *Rolling Stone* on Monday. “After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates.”

*Rolling Stone* reported that the venues that allegedly blocked Macklemore included Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia; Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts; Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia; Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis; Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina; AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Ed Sheeran and Macklemore perform during the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Festival.

Ethan Miller/Getty

EW has reached out to representatives for Macklemore, Sheeran, and the venues for comment.

Representatives for Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Raymond James Stadium confirmed the lineup change for the upcoming *Loop *tour dates at their venues but declined to comment further.

The “Same Love” rapper recently made headlines for expressing his support for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank during the Sept. 5 date of the *Loop *tour at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. During his opening act, he said, “Free Palestine,” before performing his song “Hind’s Hall,” which he released in 2024 following student protests at Columbia University against Israel’s military action in Gaza. The title references Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old girl who was killed by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).

“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,” he said during the Sept. 5 concert. “This message is for peace, love, for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality.”

Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, was criticized by the singer Pink following his performance. She had shared a video from the Instagram account stop_antisemitism, which characterized his words as “anti-Israel propaganda.” After receiving backlash for the repost, she clarified that she believes, “Hamas is a terrorist organization. Palestinians deserve a future that honors their humanity and their aspiration.”

“You don’t have to agree with one thing Israel’s government does to not want the Jewish family two rows down from you to be scared or targeted at a concert,” she continued in a lengthy Instagram statement last Friday. “That’s the only thing I’m asking anybody for.”

Pink performs on stage at the Curebound Concerts for Cures on May 15, 2026.

Daniel Knighton/Getty

In his statement about getting dropped from the *Loop *tour, Macklemore responded to Pink’s callout while acknowledging the privileges that come with being a popular musician.

“I am not a victim. Ed Sheeran is not a victim. Pink is not a victim. We have careers, money, opportunities, safety, and audiences around the world. Whatever consequences any of us face for what we say, we get to go home to our families,” he said in his post. “The victims are the Palestinian people. The men, women and children who have been killed, starved, displaced and forced to live through unimaginable violence.”

The backlash from the MetLife Stadium show led to “some difficult conversations” between Macklemore and Sheeran, the rapper said. Although the two have known each other for 13 years, Macklemore said “our friendship can’t change my responsibility to tell the truth about what happened.”

Macklemore claimed that Sheeran had received a call from Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, who refused to allow the “Glorious” rapper to play at his venue.

“Last Monday, in the middle of all the media attention surrounding Pink and what I said at MetLife, Ed told me that Robert Kraft called him,” he said. “We were scheduled to play Gillette Stadium later this month, which is owned by the Kraft Group. Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium. Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.”

In a statement shared with EW, Kraft said that Gillette Stadium is committed to “ensuring that events held at our venue do not provide a platform for hate speech” and that Macklemore’s “participation in the September 25th and 26th concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line.”

“This decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf,” his statement continued. “Their pain and loss are real. But that advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community or obscure the responsibility of Hamas, a United States and globally (including Canada, European Union, United Kingdom, and Japan) designated terrorist organization whose horrific actions have caused immeasurable suffering for Palestinians and Israelis alike. I agree with Macklemore. Too many lives have been lost and there has been too much suffering, but only sharing selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas is not honest and only advances more divisiveness and hate.”

Kraft said “standing with the Palestinian people and standing against Hamas, antisemitism and hate should not be mutually exclusive.” He also offered to engage in a discussion with Macklemore to “discuss the facts, because ultimately our goal is the same — peace for all people, an end to suffering, and an end to all hate.”

“Much of my time and attention for the last decade has been focused on the fight against antisemitism and hate of all kinds, and I feel a responsibility to stand up when I believe that line has been crossed. I have tremendous respect for Ed and his music, particularly his unique ability to bring people together and spread joy, and I have always been proud to welcome him and his fans to Gillette Stadium,” Kraft said.

Macklemore performs at the Goldencoast Rap Festival in Corcelles-les-Monts on Aug. 30, 2026.

ARNAUD FINISTRE / AFP via Getty

In his statement, Macklemore stated Sheeran was “typically apolitical” and that the “Thinking Out Loud” singer had said the phrase “Free Palestine” and the Palestinian flag “were hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with.” Still, the 43-year-old remained firm in his stance, remarking that it only became a problem because he was sharing a stage with a major artist.

“What I said at MetLife I have been saying on stages around the world for almost three years,” Macklemore said. “So why is it an issue now? Because now I’m sharing a stage with one of the biggest artists in the world, in some of the biggest stadiums in America. At a certain level of exposure, ‘Free Palestine’ becomes too much of a risk. If I kept doing the shows, saying Free Palestine, with Ed implicitly supporting it, the crowd getting loud and showing undeniable support for Palestinian liberation, what artist might speak out next? The stage becomes resistance.”

Macklemore continued, acknowledging the issue of antisemitism. However, he said he believes it should not be “used as a shield against criticism of the Israeli state.”

“I didn’t need 10 shows from Ed. I needed 2,” he concluded. “Two chances to stand in front of 90,000 people and say the words that somehow became too dangerous to say. Free Palestine. But if those words cost me the stage, while turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I’ve ever been on.”

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