Macklemore Dropped From Ed Sheeran Tour After Pro-Palestine Remarks

Rapper Macklemore has been removed from the remaining dates of Ed Sheeran's U.S. stadium tour after making pro-Palestinian statements on stage. The Grammy winner had been scheduled to perform as an opening act for eight of Sheeran's ten remaining shows.

Macklemore's removal comes after he called for "Free Palestine" during a September 4th concert at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. He told the audience that he wanted people in Gaza and the "occupied West Bank" to know they were not forgotten. He then performed his song "Hind's Hall," which references pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University and the killing of a Palestinian child in Gaza, with images of destruction in Gaza displayed on stadium screens.

The production company for Sheeran's tour, Messina Touring Group, stated that venues and stadiums informed them they would not allow Macklemore to perform as part of the lineup. The company explained that proceeding with Macklemore would have led to the cancellation of the entire tour, affecting hundreds of thousands of fans. Following discussions, Macklemore was removed from the remaining dates.

The Israeli-American Council (IAC) launched a petition demanding Macklemore's removal after his New Jersey performance. The petition argued that while Macklemore has the right to his political views, using a global concert stage to promote a "one-sided political agenda" crosses a line. The tour is set to resume on September 19th in Philadelphia.