The rapper Macklemore has been removed from English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran’s stadium tour after injecting politics into his performance.
While performing at Sheeran’s shows at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 4 and Sept. 5, the rapper “wore a keffiyeh, showed footage of destruction in Gaza, performed ‘Hind’s Hall’ and led the crowd in ‘Free Palestine’ chants,” according to Fox News.
Watch some of that below:
NEW: Rapper Macklemore, who previously said during a concert in Seattle, “F*** America,” chanted “Free Palestine” while wearing a Hamas keffiyeh scarf during his opening act for Ed Sheeran
He had images on screen during the set calling what is happening in Gaza a “Holocaust” pic.twitter.com/l4kJg9ljdo
— Ari Hoffman (@thehoffather) September 6, 2026
According to Messina Touring Group, the official promoter of the U.S. leg of Sheeran’s tour, Macklemore’s antics didn’t please the venues where Sheeran is supposed to perform in the upcoming weeks.
“As the concert promoter for Ed Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour, 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,” they told Rolling Stone.
Messina Touring Group added that this means the tour would have to be cancelled if Macklemore was allowed to continue performing.
“After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates,” the group concluded.
Macklemore has since taken to blaming New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft for allegedly mounting a pressure campaign against Sheeran.
“Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium,” Macklemore wrote in an Instagram post. “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.”
In a statement to ESPN, Kraft defended the pressure campaign by citing Macklemore’s “recent actions.”
“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,” he said.
However, Kraft stressed that his 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,” he continued. “But that advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community or obscure the responsibility of Hamas, a United States and globally (including Canada, European Union, United Kingdom, and Japan) designated terrorist organization whose horrific actions have caused immeasurable suffering for Palestinians and Israelis alike.”
“I agree with Macklemore,” he added. “Too many lives have been lost and there has been too much suffering, but only sharing selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas is not honest and only advances more divisiveness and hate. Over many decades, I have directed resources to Palestine and created athletic and entrepreneurial opportunities for Palestinians who I admire and respect. Standing with the Palestinian people and standing against Hamas, antisemitism and hate should not be mutually exclusive.”
During Macklemore’s prior performances earlier this month, he swore that his support for the Palestinians had nothing to do with the Jews.
“To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters, criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, it in no way is criticism of you,” he insisted. “This message is for peace, love, for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality.”
To all of my Jewish Brothers and Sisters,
Criticism of Israel,
In no way criticism of you– Macklemore pic.twitter.com/ixQREnH3q7
— Voice of Rabbis (@voiceofrabbis) September 9, 2026
Jews have had difficulty believing him because, during a May 2014 performance in Seattle, he “took the stage wearing a bushy black beard, a dark wig and a large prosthetic nose,” according to Fox News.
Even though he later apologized and said he’d only meant the outfit as a random disguise, many Jews remain skeptical.
Nobody:
Macklemore: I’m not antisemitic. To my Jewish brothers and sisters: this has never been about you. Also, a Jewish billionaire and his billionaire owner friends are using their money and power to silence me because I speak for the voiceless.
Also, we need to be careful… pic.twitter.com/VNew5qQFzt
— Sarah Ettedgui (@SarahEttedgui) September 14, 2026
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
- Georgia’s youngest mayor is out — and his lawyer says the whole thing ‘smells bad’ - September 15, 2026
- House Republicans hatch an end-run to force Trump-backed voter ID bill to a vote - September 15, 2026
- Mamdani accuses feds of waging ‘campaign of violence and terror’ against NYC immigrants - September 15, 2026
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.