Macklemore donates $1M to Palestinian aid organizations after Ed Sheeran tour fallout
Macklemore Announces $1 Million Donation to Palestinian Relief After Tour Exit
In a move that has sparked reactions from music fans and sports owners alike, rapper Macklemore (real name: Benjamin Haggerty) announced that he will give the $1 million he earned from opening for Ed Sheeran’s U.S. “Loop Tour” to six charities that provide humanitarian aid to Palestinians. The decision follows his removal from the tour after he performed a pro‑Palestinian set at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on September 4 and 5.
Macklemore, who was scheduled to open at eight additional dates on the tour, performed a set that included the call “Free Palestine” and his anti‑Israel song “Hind’s Hall.” After the shows, the rapper said on Instagram that “With everything that has happened over the last 48 hours, I want to bring the conversation back to where it belongs: to the Palestinian people who are still being killed, still living under military occupation, and still fighting for their freedom.”
According to the musician, the decision to drop him was not his own. He alleged that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who owns Gillette Stadium, pressured Sheeran’s team by telling the singer that Macklemore would not be allowed to perform at Gillette and by rallying other stadium owners to do the same. Kraft cited Macklemore’s “history of antisemitic rhetoric” as the reason for the ban. Sheeran, 35, has said the tour promoter and the venues made the decision, not he personally.
“I will be donating the entire $1 million of my net earnings from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to six organizations working directly to support the Palestinian people,” Macklemore wrote. The charities he listed include the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, UNRWA USA National Committee and American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA). He added, “And I invite Robert Kraft to match my donation. Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting. A Palestinian life is no less valuable than any other life on this earth.”
Macklemore emphasized the human cost of the conflict, saying, “I want to center the parents carrying their children into hospitals without the basic resources to treat them, and the physicians, paramedics, journalists and aid workers who keep going back in. I want to center the organizers and activists who have paid real costs for standing with Palestine.” He called writing a check “one of the least costly forms of solidarity” and added that he would continue to support the Palestinian cause: “Palestinians have lived for decades without basic rights and should not have to wait another day to be free.”
Kraft responded to the rapper’s challenge by posting a statement on Gillette Stadium’s social media pages. “I have dedicated much of my life to building bridges between all people. I believe deeply that all lives are worth protecting,” Kraft said. “Earlier today, before Macklemore challenged me to match his donation, Ed called me and asked me to commit $2 million to match his donation to aid in the region and fight this humanitarian crisis.” He went on to say, “Ed now plans to reach out to other venue owners and our goal is to continue to work together to build bridges.” The stadium owner also highlighted his past work supporting Palestinian–Israeli collaboration, writing, “In addition, I’d like the people who are speaking in support of the Palestinian people to know that for decades, I have supported efforts that create opportunity for Palestinians and have brought young Palestinians and Israelis together to build businesses, create jobs, and forge relationships.”
The incident has prompted a wave of solidarity actions from other artists. Following Macklemore’s removal, supporting acts Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga all pulled out of the tour, citing their support for the Palestinian people. The decision to drop Macklemore at two of the tour’s largest venues—MetLife Stadium and Gillette Stadium—has highlighted the growing intersection of music, politics, and the sports world.
Sheeran himself has stated that the choice to remove Macklemore was made by the tour’s promoter and the venues, not by him. The pop star has not yet indicated whether he will continue to perform with other opening acts