Macklemore Dropped From Ed Sheeran Tour After ‘Free Palestine’ Speech

Ed Sheeran's U.S. tour has been altered after Macklemore's comments advocating for "free Palestine" at a recent performance drew backlash. The tour promoter, Messina Touring Group, informed venues that the remaining dates would be canceled, impacting hundreds of thousands of fans. This decision followed Macklemore's stage plea for "Free Palestine" in New Jersey, which he repeated on his second night opening for Sheeran at MetLife Stadium.

The Israeli-American Council responded with a petition to remove Macklemore from the U.S. leg of the tour. Singer Pink echoed the sentiment, criticizing Macklemore for his stance, which she deemed inappropriate for a family audience. Despite Macklemore's assertion that criticism of Israel doesn't equate to anti-Semitism, his comments have sparked a divide among fans and stakeholders.

The next Loop Tour show will now feature Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe, with Sheeran continuing his U.S. dates through November and traveling to Latin America with Finneas until mid-December.