Macklemore's Onstage Comments Spark Fallout from Ed Sheeran Tour
Updated 17:39 14 Sep 2026 GMT+1Published 17:16 14 Sep 2026 GMT+1
Macklemore has been dropped from the remaining US dates of Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour
Macklemore has issued a response after being dropped from the remaining US dates of Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour following his onstage comments about the war in Palestine.
The rapper's speech calling to 'free Palestine' was also met with criticism from pop star Pink, which Macklemore addresses in his statement.
Pink, born to a Jewish mother, said she would 'keep speaking out' despite being 'hurt' by backlash after reposting criticism of Macklemore’s speech.
In a lengthy post on Instagram, Macklemore wrote: “I’m going to speak from the heart and share the truth.
Advert
“Ed Sheeran and his team have made the decision to remove me from The Loop tour.
“But before I get into it, I want to say something that should be obvious. In this moment I think it matters. I am not a victim. Ed Sheeran is not a victim. Pink is not a victim. We have careers, money, opportunities, safety and audiences around the world. Whatever consequences any of us face for what we say, we get to go home to our families.
Macklemore previously said his criticism of Israel is 'in no way a criticism' of his 'Jewish brothers and sisters' and that he is fighting for 'equality' (ARNAUD FINISTRE / AFP via Getty Images)
“The victims are the Palestinian people. The men, women and children who have been killed, starved, displaced and forced to live through unimaginable violence. More than 20,000 children have been killed in Gaza alone. People are being killed today, and people will be killed tomorrow. I want to make sure that as I tell this story, we don’t lose sight of that.”
Macklemore opened for Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey last week and told the audience he wanted people in Gaza and the West Bank to know they had not been forgotten amid the conflict with Israel.
Following the unprecedented Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage, the Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response. More than 73,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then.
Macklemore said he understands Sheeran's response (Lyvans Boolaky/WireImage)
His statement continues: “Last Monday, in the middle of all the media attention surrounding Pink and what I said at MetLife, Ed told me that Robert Kraft called him. We were scheduled to play Gillette Stadium later this month, which is owned by the Kraft Group. Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium. Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.
“Ed was in a ****** up position. He knew it. His typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before. He told me that the words 'Free Palestine' and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with. I told him that if those words were more offensive than tens of thousands of Palestinian children being killed by Israel, then there was a fundamental disconnect between where those people stood and where I stood. But he couldn’t get past his public facing: I don’t take sides.
“And I get why people don’t. Taking a side can cost you. Money, brand deals, sponsorships, festivals, private shows, relationships and access. I’ve lost all of those things. But there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed. When one side has the bombs and bottomless financial and military support from America, refusing to take a side doesn’t leave you in the middle.”
Featured Image Credit: Kieran Frost/Redferns
Topics: Ed Sheeran, Music, Celebrity
