Macklemore defends Free Palestine stage speech following petition to drop him from Ed Sheeran tour

Stage remarks at MetLife Stadium

American rapper Macklemore opened the North American leg of Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour on 4 September and 5 September 2026 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. During his sets, the 43-year-old artist wore a keffiyeh, displayed images of the Gaza Strip on stage screens, and chanted support for Palestine before singing his 2024 track "Hind's Hall". Macklemore told the audience that gaining access to large stadium venues across the United States to deliver this message was a primary motivation for joining the tour. He explained to concert attendees that his statements were aimed at ensuring people in Gaza and the West Bank knew they were not forgotten.

Petition and music industry reaction

The performances prompted opposition from advocacy organizations and fellow musicians. The Israeli American Council, an organization representing Israeli-Americans in the United States, published a petition demanding that Ed Sheeran and his management team remove Macklemore from the remaining eight dates of the North American tour. The council questioned whether the rapper's political statements, visuals, and song selection had received advance approval from tour organizers, arguing that a commercial pop concert should not serve as a political platform.

This was an Ed Sheeran concert - not a political rally, not a protest, and not an activist event.

Singer Pink shared a social media post from the organization StopAntisemitism criticizing the rapper's actions, while British musician Boy George, who released a track supporting Israeli actions in July, also criticized the set. Sheeran has not released a public statement regarding the petition or the stage remarks. During the New Jersey shows, several attendees walked away during Macklemore's performance and returned once the set concluded.

Social media video and public defense

On 7 September 2026, Macklemore published video footage of his full stage remarks on his Instagram and X profiles. The Seattle artist addressed accusations of antisemitism directly during his second performance on 5 September. He maintained that his critique of the Israeli government does not constitute hostility toward Jewish people.

To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, is in no way a criticism of you.

In his stage address, Macklemore expanded his statement to call for peace and dignity across multiple regions, voicing support for Lebanon, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sudan, while also criticizing the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Writing on social media, the musician stated that advocating equal treatment for all people should not be controversial. Macklemore released "Hind's Hall" in May 2024 to generate funding for the UN relief agency UNRWA, naming the track after Hind Rajab, a five-year-old child killed in Gaza in January 2024. He was also among more than 1,100 cultural figures who signed a 2026 boycott petition against Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest.