Ed Sheeran's tour support acts quit over Macklemore removal — SkimNews
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- Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran's US stadium tour after calling for a free Palestine at MetLife stadium in New Jersey; Macklemore claims New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft organized the removal across all venues.
- Robert Kraft confirmed he barred Macklemore from Gillette Stadium but did not address claims about other venues; the piece notes Kraft is a Trump friend and a major Israel donor, with Netanyahu calling him in 2019 'Israel does not have a more loyal friend.'
- Ed Sheeran defended his apolitical stance as creating 'a place of safety and sanctuary,' though the piece notes his prior political activity — performing at the 2022 Concert for Ukraine, signing a Brexit letter to Theresa May, endorsing Jeremy Corbyn, and backing the US equality act.
- Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and Beoga all pulled out of remaining tour dates to protest Macklemore's removal; Dublin songwriter Aaron Rowe invoked Ireland's history of 'genocide, forced famine and violent occupation' in his statement.
- Macklemore's New Jersey speech introduced his 2024 song 'Hind's Hall,' named after five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab killed by Israeli forces, which criticizes censorship of campus protest including at Columbia University.
- Susan Sarandon, CMAT, and Zara Larsson are among artists who say they lost work for speaking on Gaza — Sarandon at Venice, CMAT losing a beauty contract, Larsson dropped from brand deals and awards shows.
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said 'a handful of stadium owners can prevent [discussion of] an entire massive issue, in this case, the genocide in Gaza,' calling the precedent 'very dangerous.'
Why it matters: With Kraft confirmed as having personally barred Macklemore and a growing list of artists losing work over Gaza speech, the incident crystallizes how billionaire stadium owners can silence political expression on their platforms — and how claims of musical neutrality function as quiet complicity when corporate censorship goes unchallenged.
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