Macklemore Faces Backlash After ‘Free Palestine’ Speech at Ed Sheeran Concert

Macklemore is facing criticism after using his opening performance on Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to make a public call for a ceasefire and say, “Free Palestine.”

The rapper, a four-time Grammy winner, performed at MetLife Stadium on Friday night. Before performing his protest song “Hind’s Hall,” Macklemore told the crowd that one of the reasons he wanted to join the tour was to use the large stage to speak about issues close to his heart.

“I say, ‘Free Palestine!’” he told the audience, adding that he wanted people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank to know they had not been forgotten.

His comments have sparked a backlash from the Israeli-American Council (IAC), which has launched a petition calling on Sheeran to remove Macklemore from the rest of the tour.

“This was an Ed Sheeran concert – not a political rally, not a protest, and not an activist event,” the petition says.

The group argues that while Macklemore has the right to express his political views, an opening act should not use a major concert platform to promote what it describes as a “one-sided political agenda.”

The petition also asks tour organizers to explain whether Macklemore’s speech, visuals and performance of “Hind’s Hall” were approved beforehand. It calls for clearer rules about political messaging during the tour.

“Your show. Your stage. Your responsibility,” the petition says, urging organizers to keep the tour focused on music.

Macklemore released “Hind’s Hall” in 2024 amid pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. college campuses. The song was named after Hamilton Hall at Columbia University, which protesters renamed Hind’s Hall in memory of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed in Gaza.

During Friday’s performance, Macklemore also spoke about his 11-year-old daughter, Sloan, who was at the concert.

He said parents everywhere should be able to watch their children grow up in safety, go to school, fall in love and find their purpose without living in fear of violence.

“To know safety and peace before they know the sound of violence,” he said, describing his hopes for children around the world.

Macklemore then expanded his message beyond Gaza, saying, “Free America, free Cuba to the Congo to Sudan to Iran,” before also criticizing U.S. immigration enforcement agency ICE.

The rapper acknowledged that speaking publicly about such issues could make some people uncomfortable. But he said remaining silent to protect his own comfort was not an option.

“If I let that fear I felt on the plane yesterday stop me from speaking my heart in order to keep my own comfort and the audience’s comfort, that is the day I no longer continue to be on stage,” he said.

The controversy now puts attention on whether Macklemore will remain part of Sheeran’s tour and how performers and concert organizers should handle political messages on major music stages.

So far, the backlash has centered on the IAC petition and Macklemore’s remarks at the concert, with the debate highlighting the wider clash between freedom of expression and expectations that large entertainment events remain focused on music.