Ed Sheeran and Macklemore: it was never just about music

Macklemore performs at Lollapalooza Paris on July 19, 2025. (Photo: The Rolling Stone)

On Sept. 4 and 5, American singer Macklemore joined Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour at the famous MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

Macklemore has always been an outspoken advocate for the liberation of Palestine. 

During his set, the rapper gave a speech, “The people all the way in Gaza, to the occupied West Bank, know that we have not forgotten about them — free Palestine, free Lebanon, free Cuba, to the Congo, to Sudan, to Iran,” he said.

He performed “Hind’s Hall,” a song that was inspired by a 5-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by Israeli troops in 2024. As he sang, footage of the destruction in Gaza appeared on the big screens behind him. 

After the two sold-out MetLife shows, Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium and the New England Patriots, called Sheeran’s team. 

He said he and other National Football League stadium owners would not host Sheeran’s tour as long as Macklemore was part of it, calling the rapper’s statement hate speech.

On Sept. 14, the Messina Touring group announced that Macklemore was being dropped from the rest of the Loop Tour.

“We have been notified by venues on the upcoming United States tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup,” the company stated, adding that keeping him on would have cancelled the tour entirely.

Macklemore responded on social media, saying none of the artists involved are the “real victims” because they have “careers, money, opportunities, safety and audiences around the world.”

“The real victims are the men, women and children who have been killed, starved, displaced and forced to live through unimaginable violence,” he said. 

Kraft responded hours later, citing “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community”.

Following Macklemore’s departure, tour openers Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Finneas O’Connell, along with Sheeran’s touring band Beoga, dropped out of the remaining Loop Tour dates in solidarity.

Grammy winner O’Connell said, “Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed. I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people.”

Lukas Graham said it was “hard” to know there are families in the world “burying the people they love.”  

Ed Sheeran apologized to fans on September 19  at his first concert since his supporting acts and touring band dropped out of his tour. (Credit: CHP)

Due to the immense backlash Sheeran received for the dropping of Macklemore, he addressed the controversy at his Sept. 19 Philadelphia show.  

“The criticism was about something much more important … I am making mistakes. I’m so sorry,” he said.

Despite being an artist who tries not to be a “political commentator,” Sheeran expressed his thoughts on where he stands in the Palestine-Israel conflict. 

He said that the October 7 attacks in Israel were “horrific” and said they “compounded centuries of Jewish pain,” while also calling the situation in Gaza “catastrophic, unjustifiable, and disproportionate.”

Sheeran closed the night by thanking fans. 

“It's been a weird week. It happened very quickly. At the same time, I had so many people telling me to cancel this tour and so many people I’ve known for years are backing away.”