Rapper Macklemore dropped from Ed Sheeran tour after anti-Israel rhetoric at concerts

US rapper Macklemore has been removed from the remaining dates of Ed Sheeran's US tour due to controversy surrounding his support for Palestine during a recent concert in New Jersey. Benjamin Haggerty, known as Macklemore, made remarks in favor of Palestinians while performing at MetLife Stadium earlier this month. In response, Messina Touring Group, the promoter of Sheeran's US leg of the Loop Tour, confirmed that Macklemore would not perform on the remaining support dates.

Several venues hosting upcoming dates declared they would not allow Macklemore to perform. The promoter stated that this decision would result in the cancellation of the tour, affecting hundreds of thousands of fans. Macklemore addressed the situation on Instagram, stating that Ed Sheeran and his team had made the decision to remove him from the Loop tour.

He emphasized that the victims of the controversy are the Palestinian people, who have suffered from the conflict. Sheeran reportedly cited negative reactions to the words "Free Palestine" and the Palestinian flag during Macklemore's performance. Pink, another artist who had criticized Macklemore's comments, reposted a message expressing her disagreement.

Macklemore claimed that Kraft Group, the owner of Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, pressured Sheeran to remove him from the tour if he were to continue performing there. Irish rap group Kneecap and CMAT expressed support for Macklemore on Instagram following his statement.