A wealthy stadium owner allegedly involved in removing Macklemore as Ed Sheeran’s opening act due to his pro-Palestinian remarks on stage has pledged a $2 million donation to assist the region. This commitment followed Macklemore’s announcement of donating $1 million from his tour earnings to six Palestinian aid organizations, including the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, and challenging the stadium owner, Robert Kraft, to match the contribution.
Although Kraft did not specify the destination of his funds in the statement, he mentioned that Sheeran had urged him to match his $2 million donation before Macklemore’s challenge. Kraft emphasized his long-standing support for initiatives benefiting Palestinians and fostering relationships between young Palestinians and Israelis to promote business opportunities and job creation.
Macklemore, also known as Benjamin Hammond Haggery, performed at the first two U.S. shows of Sheeran’s tour but was later removed following his on-stage support for Palestinians in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which drew criticism from pro-Israel groups and led to a petition for his removal.
Macklemore accused Kraft of orchestrating his removal and influencing other stadium owners to threaten concert cancellations if he remained on the lineup. In response, Sheeran defended his decision not to take a public stance on the issue and clarified that the promoter, not him, made the call to remove Macklemore from the tour.
Following these events, Sheeran’s remaining supporting acts decided to quit the tour in solidarity. Danish band Lukas Graham and Irish singer Aaron Rowe were set to replace Macklemore as opening acts for the remaining U.S. tour dates. Meanwhile, Finneas, an American singer, and Beoga, an Irish folk band, were also part of Sheeran’s tour lineup.
In light of the controversy, Finneas emphasized the importance of artists speaking up for the oppressed, while Graham criticized the notion that financial status should dictate who can speak out or acknowledge suffering. As of now, Sheeran has not commented on the situation following the departure of the supporting acts, and no responses have been received from his representative or the tour promoter, Messina Touring Group.