{"id":286145,"date":"2026-09-15T01:04:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T01:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/286145\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T01:04:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T01:04:13","slug":"macklemore-will-no-longer-be-opening-ed-sheerans-philadelphia-concert-at-lincoln-financial-field","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/286145\/","title":{"rendered":"Macklemore will no longer be opening Ed Sheeran’s Philadelphia concert at Lincoln Financial Field"},"content":{"rendered":"

Listen to article \u2022\u00a00:00 min<\/p>\n

Ed Sheeran is bringing his \u201cLoop Tour\u201d to Lincoln Financial Field on Friday, but it won\u2019t be with rapper Macklemore.<\/p>\n

The Grammy-winning rapper, who joined the tour earlier this month, was slated to open for Sheeran on eight of his last 10 shows on the U.S. leg of his tour, which kicked off in Glendale, Ariz., in June. According to Rolling Stone<\/a>, Macklemore will no longer join Sheeran for his remaining tour dates. The reason cited were pro-Palestine statements made by Macklemore at two shows at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., earlier this month. <\/p>\n

On Sept. 4, Macklemore performed his 2024 protest song, \u201cHind\u2019s Hall,\u201d about pro-Palestine demonstrators at Columbia University and chanted \u201cFree Palestine\u201d while a screen behind him showed footage from the war in Gaza. <\/p>\n

Messina Touring Group, the promotional team behind the U.S. leg of Sheeran\u2019s tour, told Rolling Stone that several venues \u201cwill not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup.\u201d That list of venues includes Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.; Atlanta\u2019s Mercedes-Benz Stadium; Indianapolis\u2019 Lucas Oil Stadium; Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.; AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.; and the South Philadelphia<\/a> venue.<\/p>\n

Not removing Macklemore from the lineup, Messina representatives said, would \u201cresult in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans.\u201d <\/p>\n

Lincoln Financial Field representatives did not respond to requests for comment from The Inquirer at the time of publishing. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I said at MetLife I have been saying on stages around the world for almost three years,\u201d Macklemore wrote in a social media post on Monday<\/a>. \u201cSo why is it an issue now? Because now I\u2019m sharing a stage with one of the biggest artists in the world, in some of the biggest stadiums in America.\u201d <\/p>\n

The rapper claimed that he was dropped from the tour after Sheeran, whom he called a friend, received a call from Robert Kraft, the owner of the NFL\u2019s New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium. <\/p>\n

\u201cKraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues,\u201d the post reads. <\/p>\n

\u201cI agree with Macklemore,\u201d Kraft said in a statement obtained by USA Today Sports<\/a>, in which he acknowledged his decision that Macklemore\u2019s \u201cparticipation in the September 25th and 26th concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line.\u201d <\/p>\n

Kraft also wrote: \u201cToo many lives have been lost and there has been too much suffering, but only sharing selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas is not honest and only advances more divisiveness and hate.\u201d <\/p>\n

Macklemore\u2019s shows at MetLife spurred backlash from pro-Israel groups like StopAntisemitism. In a social media post following the shows, the group accused Macklemore of spreading \u201canti\u2011Israel propaganda,” which was amplified by Bucks County-bred pop star Pink. <\/p>\n

\u201cA repost isn\u2019t a statement,\u201d Pink clarified in an Instagram post <\/a>later, adding that she didn\u2019t object to Macklemore\u2019s \u201cFree Palestine\u201d chants, and said that she believes that \u201cPalestinians deserve a future that honors their humanity and their aspirations.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI have never asked for another artist to be silenced and I\u2019m not asking now. I don\u2019t need anyone fired, and I don\u2019t need a refund,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat I need is to be able to say, as a Jewish mom, \u2018that scared me, and it scared people I love,\u2019 without being told our fear is just propaganda, and without being told I\u2019m somehow cool with genocide because I noticed?\u201d she wrote. She also pointed to her \u201cdecade as a UNICEF ambassador\u201d during which she worked for \u201ckids who didn\u2019t choose the country or the war they were born into.\u201d <\/p>\n

The Israeli American Council also launched a petition, demanding that Macklemore be removed from the tour. <\/p>\n

Sheeran has yet to address Macklemore\u2019s statements. <\/p>\n

\u201cTaking a side can cost you. Money, brand deals, sponsorships, festivals, private shows, relationships and access. I\u2019ve lost all of those things,\u201d Macklemore wrote in his social media post. He contended that he and Sheeran will remain friends, and that one \u201cpainful disagreement\u201d won\u2019t hinder 13 years of friendship. <\/p>\n

The North American leg of the \u201cLoop Tour\u201d wraps up at Raymond James Stadium on Nov. 7. A South American leg of the tour will follow in November and December. <\/p>\n