Macklemore has been removed from Ed Sheeran’s US Loop Tour after a group of NFL stadium owners barred the rapper from appearing at their venues.
The decision, announced on Monday, came ten days after the “Thrift Shop” artist delivered a pro-Palestine speech during his September 4 set at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The rapper had been due to appear as a support act at ten stops on Sheeran’s American stadium run.
According to Macklemore, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft organised the move, allegedly rallying other stadium owners to tell Mr Sheeran to drop the rapper or lose access to their venues.
GB News has reached out to Mr Kraft for comment.
In a lengthy Instagram post, Macklemore laid out his account of how events unfolded.
“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,” he wrote.
Mr Kraft’s company owns Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where the pair were booked to perform on September 25.
“Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium,” Macklemore continued.
“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.”
The rapper described a difficult exchange with Mr Sheeran, who allegedly told him that the phrase “Free Palestine” and the Palestinian flag were “hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with.”
Mr Sheeran, Macklemore said, was unable to move beyond his publicly neutral stance.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Oasis announce huge 2027 tour as Gallagher brothers declare ‘a sight to behold’ after comebackAriana Grande and Jonathan Bailey fans despair as London musical suffers fresh blow: ‘Devastated!’Douglas Booth admits ‘we’ve all’ failed to speak up as new ITV drama tackles systemic misogyny
Messina Touring Group, the concert promoter handling Mr Sheeran’s American dates, confirmed the decision in a statement to Rolling Stone.
“We have been notified by venues on the upcoming U.S. tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans,” the company said.
“After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates.”
Beyond MetLife and Gillette, the affected dates spanned venues across the country: Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, and Lumen Field in Seattle.
The vast majority of these facilities are either directly owned by NFL franchises or bound by significant contracts with the league.
Macklemore’s speech at MetLife on September 4 included a direct appeal for solidarity across multiple causes.
“I say free Palestine, I say free Lebanon, I say free Cuba, I say free Congo, free Sudan, free all people in America living in fear of this terrorist organisation, ICE,” he told the crowd.
“None of us will be free until we are all free.”
He also addressed Jewish audience members directly, insisting that opposing Israel’s actions did not constitute hostility towards them.
The rapper then performed “Hind’s Hall,” his track in support of pro-Palestinian protests.
In his Instagram statement, Macklemore was emphatic that the focus should remain on Palestinian suffering rather than his own professional setbacks.
“I am not a victim. Ed Sheeran is not a victim. Pink is not a victim,” he wrote, adding that more than 20,000 children had been killed in Gaza alone.
This is not the first time the stadiums have faced controversy over the artists performing at their venues.
Earlier this year, Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, played shows at both SoFi Stadium and Raymond James Stadium without facing any restrictions, despite his well-documented admiration for Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime, along with a lengthy record of antisemitic statements.
Chris Brown has likewise toured the same circuit of NFL venues unimpeded, notwithstanding his conviction for assaulting his then-partner Rihanna in 2009 and multiple further accusations of violence against others.
At AT&T Stadium on Saturday, Representative Jasmine Crockett went so far as to honour Brown onstage during his performance.
Macklemore himself noted the double standard at play.
“What I said at Metlife I have been saying on stages around the world for almost three years,” he wrote. “At a certain level of exposure, ‘Free Palestine’ becomes too much of a risk.”
GB News has reached out to Ed Sheeran for comment.
Our Standards:
The GB News Editorial Charter
