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U.S. rapper Macklemore was removed from the remaining dates of Ed Sheeran's U.S. stadium tour after several venues objected to his participation following his public statements in support of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, according to a statement from Messina Touring Group, the promoter of Sheeran's Loop Tour.
Macklemore had been scheduled to appear at eight of the 10 remaining U.S. shows. The change followed comments he made at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where he told the crowd he wanted people in Gaza and the West Bank to know they had not been forgotten.
The remarks drew accusations of antisemitism, including from singer Pink, and calls for his removal from the 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," Messina Touring Group said in a statement.
"After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates."
Venues reported to have objected include Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, 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. The promoter did not identify which venues specifically objected.
Macklemore confirmed the decision in a 12-slide Instagram post, saying he and Sheeran, friends for 13 years, had spoken repeatedly over the past week but remained divided.
He said Sheeran told him that music executive Robert Kraft had contacted him after the MetLife remarks and indicated Macklemore would not be permitted to perform at Gillette Stadium, which the Kraft Group owns.
Macklemore said Kraft also spoke with other stadium owners who told Sheeran he would lose access to their venues if Macklemore remained on the tour.
"I am not a victim. Ed Sheeran is not a victim," Macklemore wrote. "The victims are the Palestinian people."
Macklemore said his comments were not intended as a personal attack on Sheeran and that he hoped the dispute would not end their friendship. Sheeran's tour is scheduled to resume Friday in Philadelphia.
Macklemore addressed accusations of antisemitism, saying it is "real" but that criticism of the Israeli government and support for Palestinians should not automatically be labeled as hatred toward Jewish people.
The Israeli military's response to Hamas's October 2023 attack, which killed more than 1,200 people, has killed more than 73,000 people in Gaza, according to figures from Gaza's Hamas-run health authority that the United Nations considers reliable.
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