Why Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran's tour — and why fans are asking for refunds

Ed Sheeran and Macklemore are all over the headlines this week — and no, you didn't somehow wake up in 2013, listening to "Thrift Shop" and "The A Team" on the radio.

The two millennial musicians are now at odds after Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour on September 14, a little over a week after his performances at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium drew headlines — and both support and condemnation — due to his support for Palestinians.

Here's what went down at the shows, how Sheeran and Macklemore responded, how fans of both artists reacted, and where the tour stands now.

Macklemore joined Sheeran's Loop Tour as an opening act on September 4, with his first show taking place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. During his set, Macklemore expressed his support for the Palestinian people.

"A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: 'Free Palestine,'" Macklemore said before performing his song "Hind's Hall" about the student protests at Columbia University. The song was named for Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces in 2024.

He added, "I believe that every human being walking on this earth deserves exactly the same freedom."

After some backlash online, which ranged from calling the rapper antisemitic to saying that an Ed Sheeran concert wasn't the right place for his speech, Macklemore stood his ground at his show the following day, September 5, though he did make it clear he wasn't criticizing all Jewish people.

"Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you. My message is for peace, love, for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality," he said.

On September 12, Pink shared her response to Macklemore's comments on her Instagram, which garnered a lot of coverage. She felt compelled to speak out after fans noticed a repost of hers on Instagram that apparently called out the "Thrift Shop" rapper.

In her post, Pink said, "Last Sunday I reposted somebody else's post about Macklemore's set at Ed Sheeran's show. It said things in words I didn't write, and I wouldn't have chosen all of them."

Instead, she was choosing to share her own words, especially because, as a Jew, people had assumed her beliefs.

Calling Hamas "a terrorist organization," she said Palestinians "deserve a future that honors their humanity and their aspirations" and that "protecting innocent life comes first, everywhere."