Rapper Macklemore has pledged to donate $1 million — his entire net earnings from his shortened stint on Ed Sheeran’s “Loop Tour” — to six organisations supporting Palestinians.
He also challenged New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to match his donation.
“Whatever our differences may be,” Macklemore wrote, “perhaps we can agree on one thing: Palestinian lives deserve our support.”
Kraft later announced that he would commit $2 million to humanitarian efforts in the region after Sheeran asked him to make the contribution. Sheeran has also pledged $2 million.
In a statement issued on his behalf by Gillette Stadium, the 85-year-old Kraft said Sheeran had contacted him earlier that day and asked him to contribute to humanitarian efforts before Macklemore publicly challenged him to match the rapper’s donation.
Kraft said Sheeran planned to contact other venue owners as part of an effort to continue to “build bridges”. He also pointed to his longstanding support for initiatives aimed at creating opportunities for Palestinians, saying he had worked to bring young Palestinians and Israelis together to build businesses, create jobs and develop relationships.
“I have dedicated much of my life to building bridges between all people,” Kraft said. “I believe deeply that all lives are worth protecting.”
Macklemore’s donation announcement comes amid a dispute over his removal from Sheeran’s US tour. The rapper, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, voiced support for a “free Palestine” during two of Sheeran’s concerts at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium earlier this month. He also displayed images depicting the devastation in Gaza during his performance.
Macklemore was subsequently dropped from the remaining US dates. Promoter Messina Touring Group said venues had indicated they would not host the concerts if he remained on the line-up.
Kraft, who owns Gillette Stadium, said the decision to bar Macklemore was linked to what he described as the rapper’s “history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery” and “material shared from the stage”. Macklemore has rejected allegations of antisemitism and said his comments were in support of Palestinian rights.
The dispute also led several other supporting acts to withdraw from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore. Finneas, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe announced their departures, while Sheeran’s backing band Beoga also pulled out.
Sheeran, who performed at Kraft’s wedding in 2022, said the decision to remove Macklemore was not his. He said concert promoters and stadium venues made the decision, while he spent the week trying to resolve the dispute.
Macklemore said donating his tour earnings was his way of redirecting attention from the controversy towards the humanitarian situation in Palestine.
“Writing a check is one of the least costly forms of solidarity available to me,” he wrote.
