Sheeran’s own band quit, and named the “z*ionist lobby” on their way out.
By Shizza Umer
Macklemore’s Palestine Advocacy Before the Ed Sheeran Tour
Macklemore’s removal from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour did not begin with one speech at MetLife Stadium. His public advocacy for Palestine dates back years. In 2024, Macklemore released “Hind’s Hall,” a protest track named after Columbia University protesters renaming Hamilton Hall in honor of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza, with all proceeds pledged to UNRWA. He performed the song live for the first time days later in Wellington, New Zealand, telling the crowd he stood “in solidarity with the people of Palestine… for the rest of my life.” His activism extends beyond Palestine too: in August 2024 he canceled a Dubai concert over the UAE’s alleged role in arming Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, saying “until the UAE stops arming and funding the RSF I will not perform there.”
What Macklemore Said During Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour
By September 2026, Macklemore was opening for Sheeran on the North American leg of the Loop Tour. During the September 4 and 5 shows at MetLife Stadium, he told the crowd of more than 80,000 that he wanted people “from Gaza all the way to the occupied West Bank” to know they hadn’t been forgotten, then performed “Hind’s Hall” as images from Gaza played on the stadium screens. His speech that night also called for freedom for Cuba, Iran, Congo and Sudan, and criticized how immigrants are treated by ICE in the US, framing Palestine as one part of a wider message. The Israeli-American Council launched a petition the same weekend calling it “not a political rally, not a protest, and not an activist event,” arguing Macklemore had used “selective imagery, biased messaging, and disputed claims presented to a massive audience as fact.” StopAntisemitism posted separately that “Jewish patrons should not be subjected to this propaganda.” Macklemore has maintained his criticism of Isr*el and support for Palestinians is not hostility toward Jewish people; critics point to a 2014 costume he wore onstage that was widely read as an antisemitic caricature, which he apologized for at the time.
Why Macklemore Was Removed From Ed Sheeran’s Remaining US Tour Dates
Messina Touring Group confirmed that multiple upcoming venues would not allow shows to proceed with Macklemore on the bill. He had been scheduled to perform at eight of Sheeran’s remaining ten US shows. The promoter said venue objections could have jeopardized the wider tour, and Macklemore was pulled from the remaining dates. He said he did not regret it, since joining the tour in the first place was partly about the size of the platform it gave him.
Robert Kraft’s Role in the Ed Sheeran-Macklemore Dispute
Macklemore says Sheeran told him Kraft made clear he would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium, and that Kraft rallied other stadium owners to the same position. That broader coordination claim has not been independently established. Kraft did confirm Gillette would bar Macklemore, saying in a statement that “based on Macklemore’s recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran’s shows in New Jersey, and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community, we determined that his participation in the September 25th and 26th concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line.” Kraft’s statement did not dispute or address Macklemore’s claim that he rallied other owners. Kraft also said the decision “is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf. Their pain and loss are real,” adding that he has “directed resources to Palestine and created athletic and entrepreneurial opportunities for Palestinians who I admire and respect,” and that he’d “welcome the opportunity to sit down with Macklemore and discuss the facts.”
The connection between Kraft and Sheeran predates this controversy. In October 2022, Sheeran performed at Kraft’s wedding to Dana Blumberg in New York, singing “Perfect” for their first dance, the first time he’d ever played the song for that moment. Sheeran later called Kraft “super sweet” and said they’d always had “a lovely relationship.”
What Ed Sheeran Says Happened Behind the Scenes
On September 15, Sheeran said Macklemore’s removal wasn’t his decision, that Macklemore’s contract was with the promoter rather than with him, and that he’d spent the week talking to venues, including Kraft, “to try and build a bridge” before the promoter and venues’ decision became final. Macklemore, who calls Sheeran a 13 year friend, says their calls were difficult but respectful, ending in what he called a “fundamental disagreement.” According to Macklemore, Sheeran told him that “Free Palestine” and the Palestinian flag were “hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with,” to which Macklemore replied there was “a fundamental disconnect” if those words were more offensive than the deaths of Palestinian children. Because this was a private conversation, Macklemore’s account of it cannot be independently verified.
Why Ed Sheeran’s Ukraine Activism Is Being Compared With Gaza
Sheeran says he avoids using his platform for politics. But in 2022, after filming his “2step” video in Kyiv before Russia’s invasion, he wrote “I stand with Ukraine” and pledged his YouTube royalties from the video to the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, later releasing a remix with Ukrainian band Antytila with proceeds going to humanitarian work. That doesn’t establish what he privately believes about Gaza, but it shows a clear gap between how publicly he engaged with one conflict and how quiet he’s been on the other.
Why Beoga, FINNEAS, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe Quit the Tour
Macklemore’s removal didn’t end the story. FINNEAS, Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham and Beoga all withdrew in the days after. FINNEAS said artists shouldn’t be silenced for speaking up for people they see as oppressed. Rowe said he couldn’t “stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up against Isr*eli genocide.” Beoga’s exit was different: a band with a decade-long creative relationship with Sheeran, who had been performing as part of his Loop Tour set, announced they were leaving over what they called the “silencing of Macklemore,” and named what they characterized as pressure from the “zionist lobby,” their own political characterization, not an independently established fact.
How the Backlash Spread Beyond Ed Sheeran’s Tour
Children’s educator Ms. Rachel publicly criticized Sheeran, writing that “silence during a genocide is not neutral.” Pink’s initial repost of a StopAntisemitism post drew its own backlash, and she later issued a follow-up statement saying she wasn’t trying to get anyone fired, only objecting to graphic imagery being shown to a stadium of families. Other artists, including Kehlani, Garbage and Greta Thunberg, have also weighed in publicly in support of Macklemore.
Macklemore Gains Instagram Followers as Ed Sheeran Loses Them
Ed Sheeran reportedly lost nearly 100,000 Instagram followers during the controversy. Secondary reports and social media tracking claims also put Macklemore’s gain at more than 400,000 Instagram followers after his statement about leaving the tour. Unlike the Sheeran decline, that figure is not currently backed by a major primary analytics source, so it should be treated as a reported estimate rather than platform-certified data. The numbers don’t establish why any individual followed or unfollowed either artist, but they show how fast the controversy moved online.
What the Controversy Means Now
What started with two words at MetLife Stadium has become a dispute involving a billionaire stadium owner, four departed opening acts, a departed house band, and a fight over what neutrality even means for an artist with Sheeran’s reach. Sheeran says the choice was never his. His fellow performers disagreed loudly enough to walk off the tour over it. What happens next likely decides whether this stays a story about one tour, or becomes the reference point for who controls political speech on the biggest stages in music.
By Shizza Umer
Sources
Variety, Boston Globe, ESPN, Rolling Stone, NBC News, The FADER, Clash Music, TheWrap, IBTimes UK, JNS, Jerusalem Post, Newsweek, Rolling Stone Australia, Complete Music Update
