Overview
- Macklemore used his opening sets at MetLife Stadium to chant “Free Palestine,” deliver a pro‑Palestinian speech and perform his 2024 protest song “Hind’s Hall” with footage from Gaza and campus demonstrations projected on stadium screens.
- The Israeli‑American Council began circulating a petition after the weekend performances that asks Ed Sheeran, tour management and venue leaders to remove Macklemore and to clarify whether his speech and visuals were approved in advance.
- Audience response was sharply split, with some concertgoers walking out and accusing the performance of promoting antisemitic or one‑sided messaging while others applauded his use of a stadium platform to call for civilian safety and human‑rights advocacy.
- As of the latest reporting, neither Ed Sheeran nor Macklemore has publicly answered the petition and Macklemore remains listed as an opener on upcoming Loop Tour dates, leaving promoters and venues under pressure to state policy or take action.
- Macklemore’s stadium remarks build on a record of pro‑Palestinian activism dating to late 2023, including the release of “Hind’s Hall” in 2024 and donations to Palestinian aid groups, which helps explain why promoters now face reputational and operational risks.