Macklemore dropped from Ed Sheeran tour over ‘free Palestine’ speech (VIDEO)

Los Angeles, September 15 - Rapper Macklemore was removed from Ed Sheeran's US tour after making a statement supporting "free Palestine" at a stadium in New Jersey, the rapper revealed on Monday. At MetLife Stadium, Macklemore expressed his desire for the people of Gaza and the West Bank to know they were not forgotten. This prompted accusations of antisemitism and calls for his removal, including from singer Pink.

Stadium owners communicated to tour organizers that Macklemore was not welcome, leading to the cancellation of the remaining dates on Sheeran's US Loop Tour. Messina Touring Group, promoting the tour, stated that closing venues on the upcoming dates would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans.

Macklemore expressed his hope that the decision would not damage his friendship with Sheeran, who was caught in a challenging position due to the controversial statement. The two artists have been friends for 13 years, and Macklemore hoped the disagreement would not end their relationship. After the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, which resulted in over 73,000 deaths according to Gaza's health authority, Macklemore has been an advocate for Palestinian rights.

In 2024, he released the album Hind's Hall, which pays tribute to five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, whose death sparked international outrage.