Macklemore doubles down after MetLife Palestine speech
Petition urges Ed Sheeran to drop him. The rapper says the stage is exactly where he meant to say it.
BY JOLT Staff · Sep 7 2026 · 1 min readMacklemore shared footage of his political address at MetLife Stadium on September 7, several days after giving it while opening for Ed Sheeran. In the clip, he mentions the track "Hind's Hall" and states that he joined this tour for moments like this, not to stay silent. The video of these comments, which focus on the phrase "Free Palestine," appears on his Instagram.
The Israeli American Council answered with a petition urging Ed Sheeran to remove Macklemore from the rest of the North American leg. Its headline states the demand plainly: “Ed Sheeran - Your Show. Your Stage. Your Responsibility!” Those behind it argue the gig wasn’t the setting for political activism. Previous political remarks have already hurt Macklemore: the Neon City festival dropped him in 2024, and Seattle’s sports franchises likewise pulled away that same year following his statements.
The petition's next move asks tour management to verify whether the address received prior authorization. Macklemore gives no indication of altering the lineup, so the response might now be the intriguing element.
