At a show earlier this month at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Macklemore shared pro-Palestinian views during his set, and afterward he was taken off the remaining U.S. dates of Ed Sheeran's tour. In an Instagram post, Macklemore said Sheeran informed him that Kraft wouldn't permit him to take the stage at Gillette Stadium, which belongs to the Kraft Group. He added that, according to Sheeran, Kraft gathered support from fellow stadium proprietors and together they presented Sheeran with a choice: either Macklemore departs the tour or Sheeran cannot play their venues.
Responding to the pushback, Macklemore wrote, "antisemitism is real," and maintained that voicing criticism of Israel alongside the phrase "Free Palestine" should not be labeled as anti-Jewish hatred.
Kraft, who owns the New England Patriots, said in a Thursday statement that before Macklemore's public challenge, Sheeran called asking for a bigger commitment. "Ed called me and asked me to commit $2 million to match his donation to aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis," Robert Kraft said. Kraft added that Sheeran plans to reach out to other venue owners to encourage additional contributions.
Sheeran's remaining four openers - Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Irish group Beoga, and Danish band Lukas Graham - said on Instagram that they are withdrawing from the tour. "Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed," Finneas wrote.
Sheeran's worldwide Loop Tour started in New Zealand and Australia in January. The North American leg began in June and is set to run through Nov. 7.
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When a tour rewrites its lineup midstream, it can sway ticket buzz, sponsor optics, and venue schedules. With fresh donation pushes now part of the story, watch how stadium owners and brand partners respond, since their choices shape reputational risk and where live-event dollars land in local economies.
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