A broad coalition of musicians, actors, and public figures has spoken out in support of Macklemore following his removal from Ed Sheeran’s US tour, after the rapper publicly alleged that venue owners pressured Sheeran to drop him over comments he made in support of Palestine.
Lewis Hamilton was among the most prominent voices to respond. After Macklemore posted an account of what led to his exit, the Formula 1 driver wrote: “Thank you for using your voice, standing with you.” The post has drawn over 7 million likes.
Macklemore alleged in his statement that Sheeran told him Patriots owner Robert Kraft had blocked him from performing at Gillette Stadium, and that Kraft subsequently pressed other venue owners to threaten Sheeran: keep Macklemore on the tour or lose access to their stadiums. Kraft has since confirmed he personally barred Macklemore from Gillette Stadium, though he has not addressed the claim that he encouraged others to follow suit.
Singer Kehlani backed Macklemore’s account, suggesting coordinated pressure among venue owners is not unusual in the industry. “A LOT of the venues / owners are rallied together this way. honoured to know you brother. adore you. behind you!!!!” she wrote. Climate activist Greta Thunberg, singer Zara Larsson, and acts including Bob Vylan and Kneecap also added their voices.
Florence Pugh, Penélope Cruz, Rachel Zegler, Cara Delevingne, Amanda Seyfried, Chase Infiniti, Bella Hadid, and singer Hozier were among those who liked the post. Pugh has previously spoken at a pro-Palestinian benefit concert.
The show of solidarity extended beyond social media. Aaron Rowe, Finneas, and Lukas Graham, all previously scheduled to open for Sheeran, withdrew from remaining tour dates. Rowe said he could not stay silent while powerful figures used their influence to suppress people speaking out for Palestine. Irish folk group Beoga, who had been performing alongside Sheeran on the tour, withdrew citing similar reasoning.
The episode traces back to a September 4th show at MetLife Stadium, where Macklemore told the crowd that joining Sheeran’s tour had given him a platform to voice support for Palestine. Sheeran, who typically avoids political commentary, posted that he had not been behind Macklemore’s removal, saying he was troubled by the Israel-Palestine conflict and had spent the week negotiating with venues, including a direct conversation with Kraft, in an attempt to find a resolution.
