Macklemore has been removed from the US leg of Ed Sheeran's Loop tour, losing his opening slot after pro-Palestinian remarks that drew criticism from Jewish groups and prompted venues to resist his continued participation.
The controversy began on 4 September at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, when the rapper, born Benjamin Haggerty, told the crowd the two words he wanted to say in stadiums were "Free Palestine." He then performed the song Hinds' Hall, which condemns Israel's military action in Gaza, while video footage of destruction in Gaza played on the arena screens. He returned to the stage the following night to directly address audience members he identified as "my Jewish brothers and sisters," and to argue that criticism of Israel is not criticism of Jewish people.
Jewish groups and advocacy organisations reacted sharply. The Israeli-American Council launched a petition urging Sheeran to remove Macklemore, saying the concert was not a political rally and accusing the rapper of presenting biased claims. The campaign group StopAntisemitism also criticised the performance and its use of violent imagery at a family pop concert.
In a nearly 1,000-word Instagram statement, Macklemore said a week of "difficult conversations" with Sheeran ended in "a place of fundamental disagreement" and that he had been cut from the tour. He wrote that "the real victims are the Palestinian people in Gaza," and defended his stance by saying "there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed." He also said accusations of antisemitism were being used to silence criticism of Israel.
Tour promoter Messina Touring Group said it had been told by venues that they would not allow Macklemore to perform, a step the promoter warned could force cancellations and affect hundreds of thousands of fans. Ed Sheeran has not commented publicly, and organisers have not announced who will replace Macklemore for the remainder of the US dates.
The wider context of the remarks was also included in coverage of the fallout. The Israeli government rejects allegations of genocide and says its troops act in self-defence in Gaza and the occupied West Bank under international law. The Israeli military's response followed a Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023 that killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. During Israel's campaign in Gaza, more than 73,780 people have been killed, the territory's Hamas-run health ministry reports, a figure the United Nations regards as reliable for reporting purposes.
The dispute has drawn other artists into the debate. US singer Pink, who is Jewish, reposted criticism of Macklemore and received heavy backlash, later publishing a statement distancing herself from the rapper's actions at the shows. With venues, promoters, artists and audiences now publicly at odds, the immediate consequences for the Loop tour and for how political speech is handled on large commercial tours remain unresolved.
