Macklemore was dropped from the remaining eight dates of Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour after opening sets that included a Free Palestine chant, jumbotron slogans against Israel, a Palestinian scarf, praise for Students for Justice in Palestine, and a dedication of Hindi’s Hall, a track about Columbia University protests, to that group. SJP has occupied Columbia repeatedly, intimidated campus members, damaged property, and in an official paper treated the October 7, 2023 killings of more than 1,000 people in Israel, including civilians and infants, as a major success for Palestinian militants.

Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft barred him from that venue and urged seven other stadium operators to tell Sheeran the same, after which promoters cut the remaining dates. Macklemore had earlier performed in a giant nose and fake beard and given a Nazi salute while dressed as a Jewish stereotype. Kneecap, Paloma Faith, Zara Larsson, Garbage, Kehlani, Toni Watson, and Stella Parton backed him, and Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Beoga, and Lukas Graham left the tour in solidarity.