New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who is also the owner of Gillette Stadium, made a statement Monday, addressing the removal of Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Macklemore as an opening act for Ed Sheeran’s show at his venue later this month.
Sheeran is currently on his 2026 North American “Loop Tour” that began in early June. Macklemore’s ban stemmed from comments he made on stage at the September 4th and 5th dates in MetLife Stadium that addressed pro-Palestine views about the war on Gaza.
On Monday, Macklemore addressed his fans on social media about the matter, placing most of the blame on Kraft and the factions opposing his presence.
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“Last Monday, in the middle of all the media attention surrounding Pink and what I said at MetLife, Ed told me that Robert Kraft called him. We were scheduled to play Gillette Stadium later this month, which is owned by the Kraft Group. Ed told me that I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium. Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners, and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues,” Macklemore wrote via Instagram.
Kraft, who is Jewish, created the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate and, in his statement Monday, defended his position and explained the decision to reject Macklemore’s attendance.
“This decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf. Their pain and loss are real. But that advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community or obscure the responsibility of Hamas… I agree with Macklemore. Too many lives have been lost, and there has been too much suffering, but only sharing selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas is not honest and only advances more divisiveness and hate. Over many decades, I have directed resources to Palestine and created athletic and entrepreneurial opportunities for Palestinians who I admire and respect. Standing with the Palestinian people and standing against Hamas, antisemitism, and hate should not be mutually exclusive,” Kraft wrote in his statement.
“Much of my time and attention for the last decade has been focused on the fight against antisemitism and hate of all kinds, and I feel a responsibility to stand up when I believe that line has been crossed. I have tremendous respect for Ed and his music, particularly his unique ability to bring people together and spread joy, and I have always been proud to welcome him and his fans to Gillette Stadium.”
Late in his statement, Kraft said he’d “welcome the opportunity to sit down with Macklemore and discuss the facts because ultimately our goal is the same — peace for all people, an end to suffering, and an end to all hate.”
Macklemore has since been removed from the “Loop Tour” after concert promoter Messina Touring Group released a statement early Monday about dropping Macklemore from the tour on Sept. 14.
“As the concert promoter for Ed Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour, we have been notified by venues on the upcoming U.S. tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans,” the statement read. “After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates.”
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