Seattle rapper Macklemore lost his spot on Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour after stadium owners refused to let him perform.
Benjamin Haggerty, the 43-year-old Grammy winner who performs as Macklemore, was removed from eight remaining U.S. tour dates following his onstage pro-Palestinian statements at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The Seattle native holds minority ownership stakes in both the Seattle Kraken and Seattle Sounders FC.
Messina Touring Group, the tour's U.S. promoter, confirmed the removal Monday, Sept. 14, saying venues on the upcoming dates would not allow a concert with Macklemore on the lineup.
The promoter said the situation would have resulted in cancellation of the tour, affecting hundreds of thousands of fans, Rolling Stone reported.
At the Friday, Sept. 4 MetLife show, Macklemore wore a keffiyeh, performed his 2024 protest song "Hind's Hall" and showed images from the war in Gaza on stadium screens.
The song is named after Hamilton Hall at Columbia University, which protesters occupied and symbolically renamed for Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza.
On Sept. 5, his second night opening for Sheeran, Macklemore addressed Jewish concertgoers directly, saying his criticism of Israel was "in no way" a criticism of Jewish people and that his message was for peace, according to The Wrap.
Kraft's role
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft confirmed he barred Macklemore from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. In a statement reported by GBH News, Kraft cited what he called a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that he said has been deeply offensive to the Jewish community.
Macklemore alleged in an Instagram post on Sept. 14 that Kraft went further, rallying other stadium owners to issue a collective ultimatum: drop Macklemore or lose access to their venues. Kraft's statement did not address that allegation. Rolling Stone reported that a Kraft representative did not return a request for comment on the claim.
Seven venues objected to Macklemore's participation, according to Rolling Stone. Five of the seven are publicly owned or operated by government entities, which Rolling Stone noted could raise First Amendment questions.
In his Instagram post, Macklemore framed the removal as a cost he accepted. "I didn't need 10 shows from Ed. I needed 2," he wrote. "Two chances to stand in front of 90,000 people and say the words that somehow became too dangerous to say. Free Palestine."
Seattle fallout
In September 2024, he headlined a pro-Palestinian benefit concert at Seward Park, where he said "f--- America" onstage. The Kraken and Sounders responded in a joint statement in September 2024, saying his comments did not reflect the values of their ownership groups and that they were evaluating their options, MyNorthwest reported.
The Seattle Mariners stopped playing Macklemore's "Can't Hold Us" at home games after those 2024 remarks. He was also dropped from the inaugural Neon City Festival in Las Vegas.
No new statements from the Kraken, Sounders or Mariners regarding the 2026 tour removal have been confirmed.
Political response
U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, whose 7th Congressional District includes Seattle, called the removal "incredibly disappointing" in a post on X on Sept. 14. Jayapal said powerful people are more upset about what an artist says than about the killing of innocent Palestinian children and families.
Ed Sheeran had not publicly commented as of Sept. 14. The two share a 13-year friendship; Sheeran contributed vocals to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis's 2016 album "This Unruly Mess I've Made" and invited Macklemore onstage during his 2023 show at Lumen Field.
The Loop Tour resumes Saturday, Sept. 19 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia without Macklemore. The North American leg wraps Nov. 7 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
