Kraft drops Macklemore from Sheeran tour over antisemitism — SkimNews
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- Robert Kraft (85, Jewish, Patriots owner) ordered Macklemore dropped as opening act for Ed Sheeran's Sept. 25-26 Gillette Stadium shows, citing a 'longstanding commitment' against hate speech and 'a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery' that 'crossed the line'
- Macklemore had performed his protest song 'Hind's Hall' — which labels Israel's Gaza actions as 'genocide' — and advocated for Palestinian freedom during Sheeran's Sept. 4-5 shows at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey
- Macklemore, 43, said on social media that Sheeran told him Kraft rallied other stadium owners, resulting in his removal from the tour entirely, not just the Foxborough dates
- Messina Touring Group confirmed to Rolling Stone that venues notified them they would not host concerts with Macklemore on the lineup, warning that the dispute 'would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans'
- Kraft acknowledged Palestinian pain in his statement but said advocacy 'should not come at the expense of the Jewish community,' and named Hamas as a terrorist organization designated by the U.S., Canada, EU, U.K., and Japan
- Macklemore told the New Jersey crowd his criticism was not of Jewish people: 'criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, it in no way is criticism of you'
Why it matters: Kraft's move extends well beyond two Gillette dates — the promoter says multiple venues are now refusing to host Macklemore, with Ed Sheeran's remaining stops at Lincoln Financial Field, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Lucas Oil Stadium, Bank of America Stadium, AT&T Stadium, and Raymond James Stadium all in play and 'hundreds of thousands of fans' at risk of losing shows over one opening act's on-stage political speech.
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