Macklemore Removed 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. Macklemore, who was scheduled to be an opening act for eight of Sheeran's upcoming shows, had called for the "liberation of Palestine" during a September 4th performance in New Jersey. He also expressed a desire for people in Gaza and the "occupied West Bank" to know they are not forgotten, and played his song "Hind's Hall," which references pro-Palestinian protests and the destruction in Gaza, with images of the conflict displayed on screen.

The decision to remove Macklemore came after venues and stadiums informed Messina Touring Group, the U.S. leg producers for Sheeran's tour, that they would not permit him to perform. According to Messina Touring Group's statement to Rolling Stone, allowing Macklemore to perform would have led to the cancellation of the entire tour, impacting hundreds of thousands of fans. Following discussions, Macklemore was subsequently removed from the remaining dates.

The controversy was amplified by the Israeli-American Council (IAC), which launched a petition demanding Macklemore's removal. The IAC argued that while Macklemore has the right to his political views, using a global concert stage to promote a "one-sided political agenda" was inappropriate. Macklemore's remarks and performance occurred during a larger stadium tour that was set to resume on September 19th in Philadelphia.