Macklemore will no longer be opening on Ed Sheeran’s stadium tour in the U.S. after his support for Palestine. In a statement shared with Rolling Stone, Messina Touring Group, the promoters behind Sheeran’s U.S. tour, revealed that several venues said that they would cancel the concerts if Macklemore is on the lineup.
“As the concert promoter for Ed Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour, we have been notified by venues on the upcoming U.S. 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. After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates,” the statement reads.
The rapper’s ongoing support for the Palestinian cause, both in Gaza and the West Bank, have created headlines after P!nk condemned his performance where he performed his song “Hind’s Hall.”
Robert Kraft Allegedly Bans Macklemore
In response to the news, he issued a statement in which he plainly pointed to Robert Kraft as the reason why he was dropped from the tour. He accused Kraft, who owns Gillette Stadium and the New England Patriots, of pressuring other venue owners to join him in banning Macklemore.
“Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium,” Macklemore wrote. “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.”
Check out Macklemore’s full statement above. We will keep you posted on any further updates surrounding the tour.
