Messina Touring Group, the promoter of the US leg of Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour, said in a statement to Rolling Stone that rapper Macklemore had been dropped from his remaining appearances on the British pop star's tour.
"As the concert promoter for Ed Sheeran's U.S. Loop Tour, we have been notified by venues on the upcoming US tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans," the company said. "After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates."
British pop star Ed Sheeran's concert in the New York area last weekend, on Sept. 4, 2026, became the scene of a political confrontation that left some concertgoers stunned. The controversy began when American rapper Macklemore's opening set veered away from music and into an outspoken political demonstration.
Macklemore did not limit himself to performing. Wearing a keffiyeh as he took the stage before tens of thousands of concertgoers, the rapper called out, "Free Palestine." For some members of the local audience, however, that proved to be only the beginning.
Genocide accusations before children
During the performance, Macklemore performed his pro-Palestinian protest song "Hind's Hall," whose lyrics attack Zionism and accuse Israel and its supporters of oppression and violence. The song also invokes allegations of "genocide" in Gaza, as Macklemore energized parts of the crowd, drawing cheers from some of those in attendance.
The audience included numerous Israeli and Jewish fans, among them families who had brought young children to what they expected would be an ordinary pop concert. Those in attendance described feelings of profound shock and hurt as what was supposed to be an enjoyable family outing turned into a hostile political spectacle from which there was little escape.
