Macklemore has turned the tables on the man who cut him loose. On Monday (Sept. 14), Ed Sheeran’s promoter dropped Macklemore from the Loop Tour after he refused to stop advocating for Palestine. Sheeran himself said he was “not complicit” and that it was the promoter’s decision, not his. The other openers and backing band quit the tour in solidarity with Palestinian people.
Now, Macklemore has announced that he’s giving away his entire share of the proceeds. He’s donating $1 million from the tour to six organizations working directly to support the Palestinian people. In a statement, he invited Robert Kraft, the owner of the NFL team that owns the promoter, to match the donation.
“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,” Macklemore wrote. He named a 15-year-old child killed in an Israeli strike while rushing to help an injured aid worker, and he closed with the words “Free Palestine.”
What Happened Over The Last 48 Hours
The story began when Sheeran’s promoter decided that Macklemore’s public support for Palestinian rights could not be allowed on the tour. Sheeran issued a statement distancing himself from the decision, saying it was not his call.
The other acts on the bill responded by walking off in solidarity. They quit the tour rather than perform alongside someone whose advocacy had become a problem for the promoter. That move put real pressure on the promoter’s position, since the tour relies on a full lineup to draw crowds.
Macklemore’s response was to look at the money he had earned from the tour and decide what to do with it. Instead of keeping the proceeds, he chose to send them to groups working on the ground in Palestine.
The Statement Names The Promoter By Name
Macklemore’s statement is direct about who made the call. He pointed at the promoter’s decision and framed the donation as a response to that decision.
“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,” he wrote. He then invited Robert Kraft to match the donation, naming the NFL team owner by name.
He asked Kraft to agree that “Palestinian lives are worth protecting. A Palestinian life is no less valuable than any other life on this earth.” That is a pointed request, coming from an artist who was dropped from a tour for his views.
Why The Money Matters
Macklemore described the donation as one of the “least costly forms of solidarity available to me.” He said he is doing it because he can, and because these organizations are doing the work while much of the world debates it.
He also noted that aid alone cannot fix the situation. “This is a manmade injustice, and I believe it requires immediate political change,” he wrote. Palestinians have lived for decades without basic rights, he argued, and they should not have to wait another day to be free.
The statement centers on people who are suffering now. He named parents carrying children into hospitals without basic resources to treat them, and the physicians, paramedics, journalists and aid workers who keep going back in.
He also named the organizers and activists who have paid real costs for standing with Palestine. Their risk is of a far different order than his, he wrote.
The Specific Case Of Muhammad Al Zinati
Just yesterday, 15-year-old Muhammad al Zinati was killed in an Israeli strike while rushing to help aid worker Sherif Lubbad, who had already been injured. Both were murdered, and both should be alive, Macklemore wrote.
He also mentioned the ones still under the rubble, whose names exist only in the memories of people who may not have survived to speak them. That line is a reminder that some victims of conflict are never even named.
Where The Fight Goes From Here
Macklemore said he will continue to stand with the Palestinian people and their fight for liberation. He urged people to stay engaged even after the news cycle moves on.
“When the news cycle moves on, which it will, don’t move with it,” he wrote.
The statement ends with “Free Palestine.” That is where his focus will remain.
Comparing The Responses And Timeline
| Party | Response |
|---|---|
| Sheeran | Said he was “not complicit” and it was the promoter’s decision |
| Other openers and backing band | Quit the tour in solidarity with Palestinian people |
| Macklemore | Donated $1 million of his net earnings from the tour to six organizations |
| Robert Kraft | Invited to match the donation |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Sept. 14 | Macklemore dropped from Sheeran’s Loop Tour |
| Same day | Sheeran issues statement saying he is “not complicit” |
| Same day | Other openers and backing band quit the tour |
| Monday | Macklemore announces $1 million donation to Palestinian organizations |
Weighing The Donation
The move is notable because Macklemore is not simply making a statement. He is putting money behind it, and he is asking the promoter’s boss to match him.
The statement’s tone is measured. Macklemore does not attack Sheeran or the promoter directly. He thanks the other acts for standing with him, and he keeps the focus on the people affected by the conflict.
The comparison table shows how differently parties responded to the same pressure. Sheeran distanced himself. The other acts walked off. Macklemore took the money and sent it to the people he supports.
Macklemore’s approach is practical. He is not staging a protest. He is funding the work of organizations that provide direct support to Palestinians.
The statement’s final line, “Free Palestine,” is a demand for political change, not just a slogan. Macklemore has made his position clear, and he has backed it with real resources.
The donation is a direct response to the decision that removed him from the tour. It is also a way of continuing his advocacy, even after the promoter’s action silenced him on the stage.
Macklemore has turned the tables on the man who cut him loose. The promoter wanted him gone. He stayed, but he stayed in a form the promoter could not touch — a check made out to the people he supports.
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