Macklemore was removed as an opening act from the remainder of Sheeran’s Loop Tour after his remarks in support of Palestine during a performance in New Jersey
Credit: Mike Coppola/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Ed Sheeran spoke out for the first time after Macklemore and other acts exited his Loop Tour over statements in support of Palestine
- Sheeran previously said Macklemore’s removal was the promoter’s decision, citing venue concerns over his remarks during a performance
- Macklemore later pledged to donate his tour earnings to Palestinian aid organizations and invited others, including billionaire Robert Kraft, to contribute to the cause
Ed Sheeran spoke out at his first show back on tour since Macklemore was removed as his opening act after his remarks in support of the Palestinian people, and other openers subsequently exited the tour.
As he opened his performance at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, Sept. 19, the “Shape of You” performer, 35, addressed the crowd, saying that what is happening in Gaza is “catastrophic and unjustifiable,” per footage shared on social media.
“My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, of children’s lives,” he continued. “The systemic injustice we are seeing unfolding in the West Bank cannot be overlooked.”
Sheeran said he has been speaking with “people across the spectrum to work out how to make a contribution that helps victims of these terrible times.” He added that he is also listening and learning “because I do not know enough.”
He went on to tell the crowd he was “so grateful” that they were there with them.
“This concert is still a place where everyone is welcome, and everyone here can stand beside people that have opposing views, and everyone here can stand beside people that they don’t agree with on everything, but they can all agree on singing these songs,” he said before kicking off his set.
Credit: Rich Fury/Getty
Sheeran has come under public scrutiny over the past week after Macklemore, 43, was removed as an opening act from the remainder of Sheeran’s Loop Tour after his remarks about Israel and Palestine during a performance at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Sept. 4.
The venues that called for Macklemore’s removal were Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia; Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.; Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta; Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis; Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.; AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., Rolling Stone previously reported.
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In a statement shared on social media earlier this week, Macklemore (real name Ben Haggerty) addressed his removal and detailed an alleged call between Sheeran and Robert Kraft, who, through the Kraft Group, owns Gillette Stadium.
“Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium,” the rapper claimed. “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.”
The rapper also said that he and longtime pal Sheeran “had some difficult conversations this past week.”
“[We had] the type of talks rooted in love and respect for one another that still end in a place of fundamental disagreement,” Macklemore wrote. “Nothing I’m writing here is out of spite or because I want to tear down his character. But as I told Ed multiple times on the phone, our friendship can’t change my responsibility to tell the truth about what happened.”
Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty
Macklemore was scheduled for eight more shows in the U.S. portion of Sheeran’s tour and was expected to make his next appearance during the Saturday show in Philadelphia.
Sheeran’s other Loop Tour openers — Finneas, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe, as well as Sheeran’s live backing band, Beoga — also dropped out of the tour following Macklemore’s removal.
“Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed. I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people,” Finneas wrote on Instagram.
In a statement of his own on Sept. 15, Sheeran said Macklemore’s removal from the tour was not his decision, but the tour promoter’s.
“Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me. I would never let down the fans who had made plans, nor would I abandon the touring crew and the other support acts and musicians who rely on me for work and to make a living,” he said.
The “Thinking Out Loud” singer acknowledged “suffering and pain on both sides” of the Israel and Palestine conflict, and said he was told that venues for his upcoming show dates told him they would pull the shows if Macklemore stayed on the bill.
“I was informed that this stance was based on how Macklemore conveyed part of his message during his performance, rather than on everything that was said,” Sheeran wrote. “I spoke with the venues at length all week to try and build a bridge. One of those people was Robert Kraft. I was also involved in direct talks with promoters along with activists on both sides to try and find a mutual resolution for all, but the venue’s and promoter’s decision was final.”
In a lengthy statement to PEOPLE on Monday, Kraft, 85, explained his decision, writing he did not want to “provide a platform for hate speech,” and took issue with “Macklemore’s recent actions, material shared from the stage… and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.”
By Sept. 16, the “Thrift Shop” singer announced plans to donate the $1 million he earned from playing on Sheeran’s tour to organizations supporting Palestinian people.
He also invited Kraft to match the donation, and later that day, Kraft said Sheeran had asked him to match a $2 million donation to “aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis.”
“Ed now plans to reach out to other venue owners, and our goal is to continue to work together to build bridges,” Kraft added in part.
“With everything that has happened over the last 48 hours, I want to bring the conversation back to where it belongs: to the Palestinian people who are still being killed, still living under military occupation, and still fighting for their freedom,” Macklemore wrote in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
The musician then said he planned to donate his net earnings from the tour to six different organizations “working directly to support” people in Palestine, including the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, UNRWA USA National Committee and Anera.
In his statement on Sept. 16, Macklemore wrote that he hoped to “center the parents carrying their children” into ill-equipped hospitals, as well as doctors, paramedics, journalists and aid workers.
“Writing a check is one of the least costly forms of solidarity available to me. I am doing it because I can, and because these organizations are doing the work while much of the world debates it,” he wrote in part. “But aid alone cannot address the conditions that make it necessary. This is a manmade injustice, and I believe it requires immediate political change.”
He concluded, “When the news cycle moves on, which it will, don’t move with it. Free Palestine.”
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