Rapper Macklemore has been pulled from the rest of singer Ed Sheeran’s U.S. stadium tour following his “free Palestine” chant and his performance of a protest song while opening at MetLife Stadium.
Several venues told Mr. Sheeran’s promoter, Messina Touring Group, that they would not permit Macklemore’s performance.
“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, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans,” the promoter said in a statement, first reported by Rolling Stone. “After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates.”
Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, was scheduled to appear at eight of the 10 remaining shows.
During his sets on Sept. 4 and 5, he criticized Israel’s military action in Gaza and projected video footage of pro-Palestinian college encampments.
He told the crowd that a main reason he joined the tour was to say “free Palestine” so people in Gaza and the West Bank knew they were not forgotten.
The rapper wore a keffiyeh scarf, a traditional Middle Eastern square cotton scarf that has become a global symbol of Palestinian solidarity, while footage and images from Gaza played on the stadium screens during his set.
He also performed his 2024 protest song “Hind’s Hall,” a reference to the renaming of Hamilton Hall at Columbia University by student protesters, a name that honors Hind Rajab, a Palestinian girl who was killed by the Israeli military.
Pro-Israel organizations, including the Israeli-American Council and StopAntisemitism, criticized him for turning a musical concert into a political protest. The IAC launched a petition urging Mr. Sheeran to remove Mr. Haggerty from the remainder of his tour.
Mr. Haggerty defended his actions on social media and from the stage, stating that wanting human equality should not be controversial.
He emphasized that his criticism of Israel’s government and military actions was “in no way a criticism of Jewish people” and that his message was focused on peace and dignity.
The venues that allegedly objected to the rapper include: Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia; Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts; Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta; Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis; Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina; AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
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