Macklemore reportedly removed from Ed Sheeran tour following 'free Palestine' remarks

Macklemore has reportedly been dropped from Ed Sheeran's LOOP tour following onstage 'free Palestine' remarks.

"As the concert promoter for Ed Sheeran's US Loop Tour, we have been notified by venues on the upcoming US 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," Messina Touring Group said in a statement shared with Rolling Stone.

"After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates."

The venues that allegedly objected to the rapper include: Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia; Gillette Stadium in Foxborough Massachusetts; Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia; Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis; Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina; AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, according to Rolling Stone.

Macklemore was set to appear at eight of the 10 shows left on the US leg of the tour, which will resume this Friday in Philadelphia. He joined Sheeran earlier this month, performing two shows at MetLife stadium in New Jersey on September 4 and 5.

He said during his performance that one of the main reasons he joined the LOOP tour was so that he could use his platform to call for a free Palestine.

"I want those words to be loud and clear so the people all the way in Gaza to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten about them," he said. "I believe that every human being walking on this earth deserves exactly the same freedom.

"I say free Palestine, free Cuba, Congo, Sudan and Iran and all the people of America who live in fear because of this terrorist organisation ICE."

He also showed images from the devastation in Gaza and performed his protest song, 'Hind's Hall' about pro-Palestine demonstrators at Columbia University, who occupied a building and named it after Hind Raja, a six-year-old killed by the Israeli military

Last week, he defended his position on social media, following the Israeli-American Council's creation of a petition calling for the rapper to be dropped from Sheeran's tour. He also faced criticism from fellow artists such as P!NK and Boy George.

"Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial," Macklemore wrote in the caption of the post.