Macklemore Removed From Ed Sheeran's U.S. Tour as Other Acts Exit

Hip Hop artist Macklemore has been removed from the remaining U.S. dates he was scheduled to play on Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour, turning a stadium support booking into a wider dispute over political speech, venue authority and how much control a headlining artist has over a tour’s lineup.

The rapper had been scheduled to open eight of Sheeran’s final 10 U.S. stadium concerts, beginning September 19 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Messina Touring Group confirmed that Macklemore would no longer perform after venue operators notified the promoter that they would not allow concerts featuring him to proceed, according to reports.

The eight affected Macklemore appearances

The removal changes the support lineup, not the status of the Loop Tour concerts themselves.

The dispute followed Macklemore’s September 5 performance at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. While introducing his protest song Hind’s Hall, he voiced support for Palestinians and said his criticism of Israel was not directed at Jewish people.

Macklemore later alleged that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium, helped rally stadium operators against his continued participation. That is Macklemore’s account of what happened. Kraft said the Gillette decision was based on Macklemore’s recent comments and what he characterized as a broader history of rhetoric and imagery offensive to Jewish people. Macklemore has denied being antisemitic and argues that criticism of Israel should not be equated with hostility toward Jewish communities.

The confirmed operational point comes from the promoter: Messina Touring Group said venues had warned that concerts could not proceed with Macklemore on the lineup, leading to his removal from the remaining support dates.

Ed Sheeran addressed the change on September 15 and said Macklemore’s removal was the promoter’s decision, not his. He said he had spoken with the venues while attempting to find a resolution, but that the venues and promoter made the final call.

Sheeran also said he intends his concerts to bring people from different backgrounds together rather than operate as political forums. At the same time, he acknowledged Macklemore’s commitment to publicly advocating for his position.

The fallout widened on September 15 when Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham, Beoga and Finneas announced that they were withdrawing from their respective Loop Tour commitments. The four acts posted individual statements explaining their decisions.

Rowe and Lukas Graham had been listed among the support acts for upcoming U.S. stadium dates. Beoga was serving as Sheeran’s touring band, while Finneas had been scheduled for South American dates later in 2026. Their departures mean the consequences now extend beyond the eight Macklemore appearances, although a revised support and touring-band configuration has not been officially announced.

Existing Loop Tour ticketing remains in place. The official tour site directs buyers to Ticketmaster for seven of the eight affected Macklemore dates and to SeatGeek for the Arlington concert.

Fans should use the links supplied by the official Loop Tour ticketing guide or the relevant venue rather than unofficial resale listings. The AT&T Stadium event page, for example, continues to list the October 24 concert and directs buyers to its authorized ticketing platform.