Rapper Macklemore has been removed from the remaining dates of Ed Sheeran's stadium tour after multiple venues indicated they would not permit him to perform due to his anti-Israel statements.
Macklemor was scheduled to perform at eight of the tour's final ten shows. According to Messina Touring Group, the promoter for the U.S. leg of Sheeran's tour, venues cited concerns about hosting Macklemore on their lineups. "We have been notified by venues on the upcoming U.S. tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans," the company stated. "After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates."
The venues that raised objections include Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts; Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta; Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis; Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina; AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Macklemore drew significant backlash after making anti-Israel remarks during a performance at MetLife Stadium. He called for a "free Palestine" and accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. In response to his statements, the Israeli-American Council initiated a petition urging Ed Sheeran to remove Macklemore from the tour. Macklemore had previously performed at St. Anne's Park in Dublin, Ireland, and during iHeartRadio Z100's Jingle Ball in 2025.