Macklemore Dropped From Ed Sheeran Tour After Pro-Palestine Comments
- Macklemore had been scheduled to support Ed Sheeran at eight of the final ten dates of the British singer's U.S.
- After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates.
- The touring dispute stems from Macklemore's appearance at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where he used his supporting slot to speak about the conflict in Gaza...
Ed Sheeran Tour Dates and Promoter Response
Macklemore had been scheduled to support Ed Sheeran at eight of the final ten dates of the British singer’s U.S. Loop Tour. According to Messina Touring Group’s statement to Rolling Stone, venue operators notified the promoter that keeping Macklemore on the lineup would force them to cancel the shows.
As the concert promoter for Ed Sheeran’s U.S.
After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates.
The MetLife Stadium Speech and Social Media Backlash
The touring dispute stems from Macklemore’s appearance at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, where he used his supporting slot to speak about the conflict in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. A video of the performance quickly circulated across social media platforms like Instagram and X.
A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: ‘Free Palestine.’ I said, ‘Free Palestine!’
Macklemore told the audience, according to reports. He added that he wanted his words to reach people from Gaza to the occupied West Bank.
Following the speech, Macklemore performed Hind’s Hall,
a track inspired by student protesters who occupied a Columbia University building and renamed it after Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Gazan girl killed during the conflict. The performance and subsequent public discussion led the Israeli American Council to launch a petition demanding the artist’s removal from Ed Sheeran’s tour lineup.
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