Macklemore Reacts to Being Dropped From Ed Sheeran Tour Over Free Palestine Chant Disagreement

Macklemore has addressed his removal from Ed Sheeran’s tour following his onstage remarks calling for a free Palestine.

In an Instagram statement posted after his dismissal was announced on Monday, Sept. 14, Macklemore confirmed he is no longer part of the U.S. leg of the Loop Tour. He wrote that neither he, Ed Sheeran, nor Pink are victims.

He stated that they have careers, money, opportunities, safety, and audiences, and that the victims are the Palestinian people who have been killed, starved, displaced, and subjected to violence.

The “Thrift Shop” artist described Sheeran as a friend of 13 years and a brother, noting the situation is difficult for both performers. He stated that his friendship does not change his responsibility to tell the truth about the events.

Macklemore stated that Sheeran told him a week prior that Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft called to say Macklemore would not be allowed to perform at the Foxborough, Massachusetts venue, where the Loop Tour is scheduled to stop on Sept. 25 and 26. According to Macklemore, Kraft rallied other stadium owners and gave Sheeran an ultimatum that if Macklemore remained on the tour, the venues would bar Sheeran from playing there.

Billboard has contacted representatives for Sheeran and Kraft Sports Group for comment.

Macklemore wrote that Sheeran was in a difficult position and that the phrase “Free Palestine” and the Palestinian flag were described as hurtful to people Sheeran spoke with. Macklemore told Sheeran that if those words were more offensive than the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinian children, a fundamental disconnect existed, though Sheeran maintained a public stance of neutrality.

Macklemore expressed sympathy for Sheeran’s concerns while maintaining that no neutral position exists between the oppressor and the oppressed.

He added that antisemitism is real, and that the term should not be used as a shield against criticism of the Israeli state. He wrote that conflating criticism of Israel, opposition to Zionism, or the phrase “Free Palestine” with hatred of Jewish people does not protect Jewish people, but instead shields Israel from accountability.

Macklemore concluded that he hopes his relationship with Sheeran continues despite the disagreement. He stated that he needed two shows in front of 90,000 people to say words that became too dangerous to say, and that if those words cost him the stage while returning the conversation to Palestine, it was his most successful tour.

Macklemore faced backlash earlier in September after making pro-Palestine speeches during his Sept. 4 and 5 support performances for Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Israeli-American Council launched a petition to remove the rapper from the Loop Tour. Pink shared a post calling for his removal and criticized him in a statement for dedicating a song to a movement of his choice in front of families and telling Jewish attendees the message was not about them.

Macklemore has stated his belief that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians following the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attacks, a position affirmed by the United Nations but denied by Israel and the U.S. government. His dismissal from the tour was announced Monday morning in a statement from Messina Touring Group.

A spokesperson told Rolling Stone that venues on the upcoming tour notified the concert promoter for Ed Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour that concerts featuring Macklemore would not be allowed, which would result in tour cancellations and impact hundreds of thousands of fans, leading to his removal after discussions with stakeholders.

Read Macklemore’s full statement below.