Macklemore says his run on Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour ended after a“painful disagreement”between the two over backlash to his“Free Palestine”speech. In an Instagram post Monday, he claimed Sheeran told him that Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, said Macklemore wouldn’t be allowed to perform at the venue. Macklemore was set to play eight of the ten remaining US dates.
Kraft responded with his own statement, saying Gillette Stadium has a longstanding commitment to a welcoming environment and will not provide a platform for hate speech. He cited what he described as antisemitic rhetoric and imagery, while adding that the decision does not diminish Palestinian suffering. Macklemore says he and Sheeran hashed it out in difficult conversations that ended in fundamental disagreement. Sheeran has not publicly commented.
This story brings up some real questions about who gets to decide what plays on a big stage, and how friendships hold up when politics walk into the room. Those are conversations happening well beyond the music world, and they matter to folks in small towns and big cities alike.
So what do you think? Should a venue be able to keep a performer off the stage over something they said?
About the Author
Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
