Macklemore Dropped From Ed Sheeran Tour Over Pro-Palestine Remarks

American rapper Macklemore has been removed from the remaining dates of Ed Sheeran's U.S. tour following his recent pro-Palestinian statements. The decision came after several venues informed the tour's producers, Messina Touring Group, that they would not permit Macklemore to perform on their grounds due to his political comments regarding the war in Gaza.

Macklemore was scheduled to perform at eight of the remaining ten shows, which are set to resume this Friday in Philadelphia. Venues that objected to his participation include Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, AT&T Stadium in Texas, and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The tour is scheduled to continue until November 7, with artists Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe set to perform as opening acts.

The controversy erupted after Macklemore's performances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey earlier this month, where he expressed support for residents of Gaza and the West Bank, called for "Free Palestine," and performed his protest song "Hind's Hall." His remarks drew criticism from pro-Israel organizations, including StopAntisemitism and the Israeli-American Council (IAC), which launched a petition demanding his removal from the tour.

In response to the backlash, Macklemore stated during his second performance that criticizing Israel or its policies does not equate to criticizing the Jewish community, emphasizing that his message is one of peace and equality. The producers stated that allowing the situation to continue would have led to the cancellation of the shows entirely, impacting hundreds of thousands of fans. Following consultations, Macklemore will not appear at the remaining dates.