{
  "id": 7348903,
  "title": "Macklemore Speaks Out After Being Dropped From Ed Sheeran Tour, Says Singer Claimed That Saying ‘Free Palestine’ Was ‘Hurtful to a Lot of People’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/macklemore-speaks-out-after-being-dropped-from-ed-sheeran-tour-says",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-14T16:01:49.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Variety",
    "slug": "variety",
    "url": "https://variety.com/2026/music/news/macklemore-defends-free-palestine-speech-fired-ed-sheeran-tour-1236861158/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Macklemore has been dropped from the remaining US dates of Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour. The decision was made after Macklemore led audiences in \"Free Palestine\" chants during a show. According to Messina Touring Group, the tour promoter, venues informed them that they would not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which would have resulted in the cancellation of the tour and impacted hundreds of thousands of fans.\n\nMacklemore responded to being dropped from the tour on Instagram, seemingly placing blame on New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, though details of this claim are not specified.\n\nThe Israeli American Council had condemned Macklemore's pro-Palestine stance and issued a petition for his removal from the tour. Ed Sheeran's team and Macklemore have not provided further comments on the matter beyond Macklemore's Instagram post.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 9,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Rolling Stone",
        "title": "Macklemore Dropped From Ed Sheeran Tour After Onstage ‘Free Palestine’ Statements",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/macklemore-dropped-from-ed-sheeran-tour-after-onstage-free-palestine",
        "published": "2026-09-14T14:01:27.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Consequence",
        "title": "Macklemore Dropped as Opener on Ed Sheeran’s Tour Over Free Palestine Comments",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/macklemore-dropped-as-opener-on-ed-sheerans-tour-over-free-palestine",
        "published": "2026-09-14T14:15:49.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Variety",
        "title": "Macklemore Dropped From Ed Sheeran Tour After ‘Free Palestine’ Speech",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/macklemore-dropped-from-ed-sheeran-tour-after-free-palestine-speech",
        "published": "2026-09-14T14:19:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "TheWrap",
        "title": "Macklemore Removed From Ed Sheeran Tour Following ‘Free Palestine’ Messaging",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/macklemore-removed-from-ed-sheeran-tour-following-free-palestine",
        "published": "2026-09-14T14:39:27.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Billboard",
        "title": "Macklemore Dropped From Ed Sheeran Tour Over His ‘Free Palestine’ Comments",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/macklemore-dropped-from-ed-sheeran-tour-over-his-free-palestine",
        "published": "2026-09-14T15:18:13.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Deadline",
        "title": "Macklemore Dropped From Ed Sheeran Tour After “Free Palestine” Remarks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/macklemore-dropped-from-ed-sheeran-tour-after-free-palestine-remarks",
        "published": "2026-09-14T16:00:21.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NYT Arts",
        "title": "Macklemore Dropped From Ed Sheeran Tour After ‘Free Palestine’ Remarks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/macklemore-dropped-from-ed-sheeran-tour-after-free-palestine-remarks-7376646",
        "published": "2026-09-14T18:47:53.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC News",
        "title": "Macklemore dropped from Ed Sheeran tour after 'Free Palestine' speech",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/macklemore-dropped-from-ed-sheeran-tour-after-free-palestine-speech-7382671",
        "published": "2026-09-14T19:30:41.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}