Macklemore Says Ed Sheeran Friendship Hit a "Painful Disagreement" Before Loop Tour Removal

Macklemore says his removal from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour started with a“painful disagreement”between the two friends. In an Instagram post Monday, the rapper claimed Sheeran told him that Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, said Macklemore would not be allowed to perform at the venue. Macklemore also said other stadium owners issued a similar ultimatum, effectively making his presence on the tour unworkable. He had been booked for eight of the ten remaining US dates.

Kraft’s response was direct. Gillette Stadium said it has a longstanding commitment to a welcoming environment and will not provide a platform for hate speech, pointing to what it described as antisemitic rhetoric and imagery tied to Macklemore’s recent actions. Kraft added that the decision does not diminish Palestinian suffering. Both statements landed the same day, and they tell very different stories about why Macklemore is off the bill.

What’s still missing is Ed Sheeran’s voice. He hasn’t commented publicly, and neither has the tour’s US promoter. That silence has fans split, with some defending Macklemore’s right to speak and others saying venues get to set their own rules. Either way, it raises a bigger question about how much power a stadium or an arena holds over who gets to perform.

Do you think venues should be able to block performers over political speech? Sound off in the comments.