American rapper Macklemore has been removed from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour after speaking up for Palestine during his opening set.
But for the 43-year-old artist, the tour became his “most successful tour” if it meant turning the conversation back to Palestine.
In an Instagram post on September 14, Macklemore said Sheeran and his team had decided to remove him from the remaining shows, but underscored that he does not consider himself a victim – nor Sheeran or Pink.
According to Macklemore, Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, called his longtime friend Sheeran and told him that Macklemore would not be allowed to perform at the stadium.
Difficult position
He also said Kraft contacted other stadium owners and urged them to take the same position.
Macklemore acknowledged that Sheeran was in a difficult position, saying he understood the singer’s desire to remain apolitical and the potential consequences of speaking out on political issues.
However, he emphasised that “there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed.”
He also noted that his message during the tour was consistent with what he had been saying publicly for the past three years.
He said it gained greater attention this time because he was performing alongside a major artist, adding that the “stage becomes resistance.”
“Maybe that’s why this time it became important to silence me,” he said.
In the end, the activist-singer said he did not need all 10 shows on the tour.
He said he only needed two opportunities to say the words that had somehow become dangerous: “Free Palestine.”
“But if those words cost me the stage, while turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I’ve ever been on,” he said.
His performance on September 4 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, drew widespread attention after he encouraged the crowd to chant “Free Palestine” while performing “Hind’s Hall,” his 2024 protest song.
Footage related to Gaza and pro-Palestinian demonstrations was also displayed in the background.
He made similar remarks and again performed “Hind’s Hall” during his second performance at MetLife Stadium the following night, September 5.
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Ed Sheeran answers back
British singer Ed Sheeran responded with a statement on September 15, clarifying that the decision to remove Macklemore from the tour was not his but the promoter’s.
He also said he spent the week speaking with venue owners and trying to build bridges in an attempt to resolve the issue, but ended up to no avail as the venue’s and promoter’s decision was final.
While he said he was “appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine” and that “the suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy,” he could not let down the fans or abandon the touring crew, support acts and musicians who rely on him.
Sheeran also said he remains publicly apolitical because his audience includes young people, often children, from all backgrounds.
“Those who come to my show do not expect a political forum,” he wrote.
“I know who I am, both as a person and as an artist, and those who know my heart know my values too,” he concluded.
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