Macklemore Dropped From Ed Sheeran's US Tour After Onstage Pro-Palestine Remarks
Macklemore has been removed from the remaining US dates of Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour after making pro-Palestinian remarks onstage during shows at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4 and 5. The Seattle rapper called for a "free Palestine" during his set and performed his song "Hind's Hall," which is dedicated to Palestinians killed in Gaza. The Israeli American Council responded with a petition demanding his removal from the tour, arguing a concert stage was not the place for what it called a one-sided political message.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said he would personally bar Macklemore from performing at Gillette Stadium on September 25 and 26, citing what he called a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery alongside the Gaza remarks. Tour promoter Messina Touring Group said venues had warned they would not allow the shows to go forward with Macklemore on the bill, and confirmed he would not perform on any remaining dates. Several other opening acts, including Finneas, have since withdrawn from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
The case for:
Venue owners and promoters argue a concert isn't the right venue for one-sided political statements, and that keeping the show apolitical protects the experience for the hundreds of thousands of fans who bought tickets to see Sheeran, not a political rally.
Robert Kraft and others point to what they see as a pattern of offensive rhetoric, arguing the decision was about protecting audiences from content they found hurtful, not just a single incident.
The case against:
Critics say pulling Macklemore over a call for "free Palestine" punishes a mainstream political viewpoint on the war in Gaza and sets a precedent for silencing artists who speak about it.
The wave of opening acts who quit in solidarity suggests many in the music industry see the removal as an overreach that will discourage other artists from speaking out on tour.
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