I. Deal Overview
Macklemore, serving as the opening act on Ed Sheeran's North American "Loop" tour, shouted "free Palestine" during his September 4 set at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, and displayed Gaza-related imagery on the stadium's screens while performing his protest song "Hind's Hall."
By October 1, will Ed Sheeran or his team issue a public statement on this matter?
The moment prompted the Israeli American Council (IAC) to launch a petition calling on Sheeran to remove Macklemore from the tour's remaining dates, arguing that "this was an Ed Sheeran concert" rather than a political event. The petition states: "The issue is not whether Macklemore has the right to hold political views. The question is where the line should be drawn when an opening act uses a global concert platform to advance a one-sided political agenda."
II. Where Things Stand
During his second show the following night, September 5, Macklemore addressed the backlash directly, saying that "criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism" of Jewish people, adding, "none of us will be free until we are all free."
According to Martin Cid Magazine, the petition has not succeeded so far — Macklemore completed both scheduled performances and remains on the tour. Sheeran himself has not publicly commented on the matter, while singer P!nk shared content critical of Macklemore. No official response from Sheeran's team has been issued at this time.
