Rabat — Macklemore has been removed from the remaining U.S. dates of Ed Sheeran’s “Loop Tour” following pro-Palestinian remarks he made during his performances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4-5.

During his set, the rapper voiced his support for Palestinians, telling the audience, “I want those words to be loud and clear, so that people all the way in Gaza to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten about them.”

Messina Touring Group, the promoter of Sheeran’s U.S. tour, told Rolling Stone that venues on the upcoming dates had informed the promoter that they would not allow concerts with Macklemore on the lineup.

Macklemore has been vocal about his support for Palestine since the beginning of the war in Gaza. During his MetLife performances, he also performed his 2024 protest song “Hind’s Hall,” while footage and messages related to Gaza appeared on the stadium screens.

Following the performances, the Israeli-American Council launched a petition calling for Macklemore to be removed from the remaining dates of the tour. The organization criticized the rapper for using the concert stage to deliver what it described as a “one-sided political agenda.”

Macklemore later addressed his removal in a lengthy Instagram statement, alleging that Ed Sheeran had been told that Macklemore would not be welcome at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. He claimed that Sheeran was also pressured by other stadium owners to remove him from the tour.

“Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues,” he wrote.

Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, later confirmed that he had barred Macklemore from performing at the venue. Kraft said the decision was not about denying support for Palestinians, but about what he described as rhetoric that came at the expense of the Jewish community.

The rapper also faced criticism from fellow artist Pink, who https://x.com/BuzzingPop/status/2096819192083120382?s=20"> shared a post from StopAntisemitism criticizing Macklemore’s remarks and calling for his removal from Sheeran’s tour.

Macklemore was scheduled to appear at eight of the remaining U.S. shows. Sheeran’s next Loop Tour date is set for September 19 in Philadelphia, where Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe are scheduled to perform as opening acts.