Macklemore Removed From Ed Sheeran's Stadium Tour After Venue Pushback

Macklemore is no longer opening for Ed Sheeran on the U.S. Loop stadium tour. According to Macklemore, Sheeran told him that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said he would not be allowed to perform in his stadium, and that other stadium owners had been rallied behind the same position. The tour’s promoter, Messina Touring Group, confirmed that venues would not allow the concerts to proceed with Macklemore on the lineup, a move it said would have forced the entire tour to be canceled.

The backdrop matters here. Macklemore has been performing his song“Hind’s Hall”and using Gaza imagery onstage for nearly three years, including at his MetLife Stadium shows on September 4 and 5. The Israeli American Council and other groups had petitioned for his removal before Monday’s decision. Seven NFL stadiums were named as venues that objected, including Gillette Stadium, which is owned by the Kraft Group. Macklemore’s public response was pointed: what I said at MetLife, I have been saying on stages around the world for almost three years, so why is it an issue now?

So far, Kehlani is among the artists who have publicly defended him, and the conversation online has split fast between free speech arguments and venue rights arguments. The bigger question lingering for fans: when you buy a ticket to a stadium show, who’s really curating the night — the artist, or the building? Drop your take in the comments.