Overview
- Macklemore was removed from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour after he said “Free Palestine” during an opening set at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 4, prompting the promoter to pull him from the lineup.
- The promoter announced the removal on Sept. 14 after venues warned they would cancel shows if Macklemore remained, a move artists say shows venue owners can enforce lineup changes by threatening cancellations.
- Several opening acts, including Finneas and Aaron Rowe, promptly withdrew from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore, leaving the tour lineup altered and forcing rapid replacement decisions.
- On Sept. 19 Melissa Barrera praised the withdrawals as “beautiful” and contrasted the show of support with her own firing by Spyglass in November 2023 over social posts about Gaza, saying colleagues were then too scared to back her.
- Industry observers say the episode highlights shifting norms about protest onstage, raises questions about who controls platforms for political speech, and could prompt more artists to weigh solidarity and contractual risk when deciding whether to speak out.