Macklemore Dropped From Ed Sheeran's Tour, and the Music World Is Rallying Behind Him

Macklemore is no longer opening for Ed Sheeran. The rapper made“Free Palestine”comments during his sets at MetLife Stadium on September 4th and 5th, and shortly after, a group of American stadium owners pressured Sheeran’s team to remove him from the tour. The decision came fast, and the backlash came faster.

Since then, a growing list of artists has posted public support for Macklemore. Ms. Rachel, the children’s entertainer, pointed to an estimated 20,000 Palestinian children killed since 2023. Garbage wrote that nothing Macklemore said was“violent or hateful or remotely radical.”Kneecap, Kehlani, Zara Larsson, and Greta Thunberg have all shared messages of solidarity as well. The posts range from short and blunt to long and emotional, but the theme is the same: his words didn’t cross a line, and the tour removal did.

The whole situation has turned into a bigger debate about free speech, tour politics, and how much pressure venues and promoters actually hold over artists. And with names like Ms. Rachel in the mix, it’s reached audiences well beyond the usual music-industry circles. So where do you land: was pulling Macklemore the right call, or did the pushback go too far? Sound off in the comments.