Macklemore Defends Palestine Stance on Sheeran Tour

Rapper Macklemore used his opening set for Ed Sheeran's stadium tour to deliver a pro-Palestine speech, prompting a petition for his removal. The performance occurred Friday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, with the artist later posting video of the address on Instagram.

Macklemore stated one reason for joining the tour was to use the platform. "I wanted to stand up here on stages in stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: 'Free Palestine,'" he said. He dedicated his next song to Columbia University students involved in the recent encampment protests.

Addressing Jewish Fans

Directly addressing Jewish attendees and fans, Macklemore sought to separate criticism of the Israeli state from criticism of Jewish people. "To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you," he stated. He framed his overall message as one for peace, dignity, and equality for all people.

He then performed his protest song "Hind's Hall." The track, released two years ago, supports the Columbia student protesters and is named for a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza.

Petition for Removal

In response, the Israeli American Council launched a petition calling on headliner Ed Sheeran to drop Macklemore from the tour. The petition, headlined "Ed Sheeran - Your Show. Your Stage. Your Responsibility!", argues the concert was not meant to be a political rally. It criticizes the use of the platform for what it calls a one-sided agenda relying on "selective imagery, biased messaging, and disputed claims."

The petition also calls on tour leadership to clarify if Macklemore's speech and song choice were pre-approved and to establish clear boundaries for political messaging on stage. The number of signatures was not displayed.

History of Controversy

This is not the first backlash Macklemore has faced for political statements. In 2024, he was removed from the Neon City festival lineup in Las Vegas after performing a sequel to "Hind's Hall" and saying "Fuck America" at a pro-Palestine concert in Seattle. Several Seattle sports teams subsequently reevaluated their relationships with him.

Singer Pink reshared a post from the account stop_antisemitism criticizing the MetLife performance. The shared post called claims of genocide "false" and argued Jewish fans were "ambushed" by anti-Israel propaganda, stating they were owed apologies and refunds. Macklemore's full speech from the concert remains viewable on his social media.