Pink And Macklemore Controversy Explained: “Free Palestine” Backlash

Pink became involved in a major music-industry controversy involving rapper Macklemore in September 2026 after she reposted criticism of his pro-Palestinian remarks during concerts on Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour.

The dispute quickly expanded far beyond Pink’s original social-media post. Macklemore was removed from Sheeran’s remaining U.S. tour dates after multiple stadium operators objected to his participation, every other scheduled supporting act subsequently withdrew, and the controversy produced millions of dollars in announced humanitarian donations.

Pink, who is Jewish, has said her criticism should not be interpreted as opposition to Palestinian rights or as a demand that Macklemore be fired. Macklemore maintains that his advocacy is directed at Israeli government policy and Palestinian rights rather than Jewish people.

Macklemore Is Donating $1 Million From The Ed Sheeran Tour To Palestinian Aid

Macklemore announced on September 16 that he would donate his entire $1 million in net earnings from his participation in Sheeran’s Loop Tour to organizations helping Palestinians. The rapper said the money would be divided among six groups working on humanitarian relief and support. [Pitchfork] [AP]

The organizations identified by Macklemore included HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, American Near East Refugee Aid, Medical Aid for Palestinians and UNRWA USA, among the six recipients. [Pitchfork]

Macklemore also publicly challenged New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to match his $1 million donation. Kraft owns Gillette Stadium and had confirmed that Macklemore would not be permitted to perform there during Sheeran’s scheduled September concerts. [AP]

Ed Sheeran And Robert Kraft Announced $2 Million Humanitarian Donations

Kraft responded by saying Sheeran had already contacted him about a larger humanitarian contribution before Macklemore issued his public challenge. Kraft said Sheeran asked him to commit $2 million to match a $2 million donation Sheeran planned to make toward humanitarian relief connected to the crisis. [Variety] [People]

Kraft said Sheeran also intended to contact other stadium and venue owners about contributing. Kraft described the proposed donations as humanitarian assistance for people affected by the conflict and said that all lives deserve protection. [Rolling Stone]

The statements mean that Macklemore, Sheeran and Kraft have collectively announced at least $5 million in humanitarian giving connected to the controversy: $1 million from Macklemore and $2 million each from Sheeran and Kraft. Details about the organizations that will receive Sheeran’s and Kraft’s contributions had not been publicly specified when the announcements were made. [Variety]

All Of Ed Sheeran’s Remaining Supporting Artists Withdrew

Every remaining supporting act associated with upcoming dates of Sheeran’s Loop Tour withdrew after Macklemore was removed. Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Irish group Beoga all announced that they would no longer participate. [AP] [Reuters]

Finneas said artists should not be silenced when speaking on behalf of people they believe are oppressed and explicitly expressed support for Palestinians. He had been scheduled to open for Sheeran on South American dates later in 2026. [AP]

Irish singer Aaron Rowe said he could not continue with the tour after Macklemore’s removal. Beoga, an Irish folk group that had also been performing as part of Sheeran’s live show, similarly withdrew. Danish band Lukas Graham said financial power should not determine which artists are permitted to speak about civilian suffering or war. [The Guardian]

Ed Sheeran Said Removing Macklemore Was Not His Decision

Sheeran said publicly that Macklemore’s removal was ultimately a decision by the tour promoter and venues rather than one he personally made. He said multiple stadium operators informed tour organizers that they would not permit concerts to proceed with Macklemore remaining on the lineup. [Reuters]

Sheeran said he spent days attempting to find a compromise and spoke directly with people involved in the dispute, including Kraft, but said the venues’ and promoter’s decision ultimately could not be changed. [Reuters]

Sheeran also noted that Macklemore’s touring agreement was with promoter Messina Touring Group rather than directly with him. [Pitchfork]

Sheeran Said He Tries To Keep His Concerts Politically Neutral

Sheeran said his preference is for his concerts to function as spaces of music, unity and entertainment rather than political forums. He said choosing not to publicly detail all of his political views should not be interpreted as indifference toward people suffering in Israel or the Palestinian territories. [Reuters]

Sheeran said he respects Macklemore’s willingness to publicly advocate for his beliefs while choosing a different approach for himself. He also rejected suggestions that his relative public silence meant he was personally complicit in violence occurring during the conflict. [Reuters]

Macklemore Was Removed From Ed Sheeran’s Remaining U.S. Tour Dates

Macklemore was removed from the remaining U.S. dates of Sheeran’s Loop Tour on September 14. Messina Touring Group said venues hosting upcoming concerts had informed the promoter that shows would not be allowed to proceed with Macklemore on the lineup. [Reuters]

Macklemore had been scheduled to perform at eight of Sheeran’s remaining 10 U.S. stadium concerts. The tour was scheduled to resume September 19 in Philadelphia. [AP]

Messina Touring Group said allowing Macklemore to remain could have resulted in entire shows being canceled, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of ticket holders. [Reuters]

Robert Kraft Confirmed He Would Not Allow Macklemore At Gillette Stadium

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft confirmed that he opposed Macklemore performing at Gillette Stadium during Sheeran’s September 25 and 26 concerts. Kraft’s company owns the stadium. [AP]

Kraft said his decision was based on both Macklemore’s MetLife Stadium performance and what Kraft characterized as a broader history of rhetoric and imagery that had been offensive and hurtful to members of the Jewish community. Macklemore disputes the characterization of his Palestinian advocacy as antisemitic. [Pitchfork]

Kraft said his objection was not intended to deny Palestinians the right to advocate for themselves and said he would be willing to meet with Macklemore. [People]

Macklemore Said Kraft Pressured Other Stadium Owners

Macklemore alleged that Kraft helped rally other stadium operators to refuse shows that included him. Macklemore said Sheeran told him that Kraft had contacted other venue owners and that multiple stadiums eventually threatened not to host Sheeran’s concerts if Macklemore remained on the bill. [The Guardian]

Kraft publicly confirmed his own decision regarding Gillette Stadium but did not confirm Macklemore’s broader allegation that he coordinated the response by all of the other venues. Messina Touring Group separately confirmed that multiple venues objected to Macklemore’s participation. [AP]

What Did Macklemore Say At Ed Sheeran’s Concert?

Macklemore repeatedly said “Free Palestine” while opening for Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on September 4. He told the audience that one reason he accepted the tour was the opportunity to use large stadium stages to express support for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. [Reuters]

Macklemore also performed his protest song “Hind’s Hall” while images depicting destruction in Gaza appeared on stadium video screens. His presentation included criticism of Israeli government policies and military actions. [The Guardian]

The Israeli-American Council subsequently circulated a petition asking Sheeran to remove Macklemore from the tour, arguing that an opening act should not use a global concert platform to promote what the organization described as a one-sided political message. [Reuters]

Macklemore Said His Criticism Was Not Directed At Jewish People

At his second MetLife Stadium performance, Macklemore specifically addressed Jewish audience members and said his criticism of Israel was not criticism of Jewish people. He described his message as one supporting peace, equality, dignity and Palestinian rights. [Reuters]

Macklemore has argued that criticism of Israeli government policy should not automatically be characterized as antisemitism. Critics including Kraft and Pink have said that some of Macklemore’s rhetoric, presentation or past imagery has nevertheless been experienced as threatening or offensive by Jewish listeners.

How Did Pink Become Involved In The Macklemore Controversy?

Pink entered the controversy after sharing an Instagram post from StopAntisemitism criticizing Macklemore’s MetLife Stadium performance. The organization accused Macklemore of confronting concertgoers with anti-Israel political messaging. [Variety]

Because Pink initially shared another organization’s post rather than immediately writing a detailed explanation in her own words, many social-media users interpreted her repost as endorsing all of the organization’s criticism.

Why Did Pink Receive Backlash?

Some critics accused Pink of applying a different standard to Macklemore’s political speech than she has applied to political messages in her own career. Pink has previously addressed politics in songs and public statements, including the 2006 George W. Bush protest song “Dear Mr. President.”

Others defended Pink’s right to say that parts of Macklemore’s presentation made her and other Jewish people uncomfortable or fearful.

The online reaction demonstrates that Pink’s comments generated substantial controversy, but it does not by itself establish the views of her wider fan base or the commercial effect of the dispute.

Pink Said The Original Repost Did Not Fully Represent Her Views

Pink later published a longer explanation acknowledging that she would not personally have chosen all of the language contained in the post she shared. She said she initially reacted defensively and wanted people to assess her views based on her own words. [Variety]

Pink said memes and social-media reposts were inadequate ways to communicate complicated positions concerning Palestinians, Israel, war and antisemitism.

Pink Said She Was Speaking As A Jewish Woman And Mother

Pink connected her response to her Jewish background and said she was trying to explain the fear felt by herself and people she loves. She emphasized that objecting to specific rhetoric or imagery should not automatically be interpreted as indifference toward Palestinian civilian suffering. [Variety]

Pink said Palestinians deserve humanity and a future of their own, while also condemning Hamas and arguing that innocent civilians should be protected.

Pink Said She Did Not Want Macklemore Fired

Pink specifically said that she was not asking for Macklemore to be removed from Sheeran’s tour. She said she had not demanded that another artist be silenced, fired or deprived of a platform. [The Guardian]

That distinction became significant when Macklemore was subsequently removed. Public statements from Messina Touring Group, Sheeran and Kraft have attributed the decision to venue objections and the promoter’s response rather than to a demand from Pink. [Reuters]

Pink Said Her Objection Was Not Simply The Phrase “Free Palestine”

Pink said she did not object merely to Macklemore saying “Free Palestine.” Her criticism concerned the broader presentation, including images from the war, Macklemore’s characterization of Israeli actions and previous controversies involving the rapper. [Variety]

Macklemore has said that he uses “Free Palestine” to advocate for Palestinian liberation, safety and equal rights rather than hostility toward Jewish people.

Pink Brought Up Macklemore’s 2014 Costume Controversy

Pink also referenced a 2014 incident in which Macklemore performed in disguise wearing a dark wig, beard and oversized prosthetic nose. Critics at the time said the costume resembled an antisemitic stereotype.

Macklemore denied intentionally portraying a Jewish caricature and apologized to people who were offended, saying he had assembled the disguise in order to perform without being recognized.

Pink said she had previously accepted that explanation but that the episode affected the way she interpreted his more recent performance.

Macklemore Has Supported Palestinian Causes For Years

Macklemore’s activism on the issue predates the 2026 Sheeran tour controversy. In 2024 he released “Hind’s Hall,” a song supporting pro-Palestinian campus protesters and named for Hind Rajab, a Palestinian child killed during the Gaza war. [Reuters]

He has continued discussing Palestinian rights and criticizing Israeli government policies through songs, interviews, social-media posts and live performances. His advocacy has received support from pro-Palestinian activists and criticism from Jewish and pro-Israel organizations.

Other Public Figures Have Backed Macklemore

Macklemore’s removal prompted support from musicians, activists and other prominent figures in addition to the artists who withdrew from Sheeran’s tour. AP and other reporting noted supportive statements from figures including Kehlani, Ms. Rachel and others who argued that artists should be permitted to speak publicly in support of Palestinians. [AP]

Former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters also publicly criticized Sheeran over the episode and expressed support for Macklemore. [The Independent]

The Controversy Raised Questions About Who Controls Major Concert Tours

The Macklemore dispute also drew attention to how authority is divided among performers, promoters and stadium operators. Music-industry experts interviewed by the Associated Press said promoters typically handle major logistical and financial elements of tours, while headline artists can wield substantial creative influence and venues retain the power to refuse or cancel performances. [AP]

That distribution of power helps explain how Sheeran could say he personally opposed removing Macklemore while the promoter simultaneously said it could not continue with him after multiple venues objected.

Some Fans Asked For Refunds After Macklemore Was Removed

Some ticket holders publicly sought refunds after Macklemore and the other supporting performers dropped out. The complaints came from fans who said the lineup had materially changed from what they expected when purchasing their tickets. [Business Insider]

Ticket refund availability generally depends on the ticket seller and tour organizer’s policies, and a change in opening performers does not necessarily result in automatic refunds when the headline concert itself is still proceeding.

Has Pink Responded To Macklemore’s Removal Or The New Donations?

As of September 17, 2026, Pink had not issued a major new public statement responding specifically to Macklemore’s removal, the withdrawal of the other performers or the subsequent humanitarian-donation announcements.

Her most detailed public explanation remains the statement in which she said she objected to elements of Macklemore’s presentation but did not want him fired or silenced. [Variety]

Where Does The Pink And Macklemore Controversy Stand Now?

As of September 17, the dispute has expanded from a social-media argument involving Pink into a significant disruption of one of the year’s major stadium tours. Macklemore has been removed, every remaining supporting performer has withdrawn, and Sheeran says the U.S. concerts will continue despite the lineup changes. [AP]

The controversy has also produced competing humanitarian initiatives. Macklemore pledged his $1 million in tour earnings to Palestinian aid organizations, while Kraft subsequently said Sheeran planned a $2 million humanitarian donation and had asked Kraft to contribute another $2 million. [Pitchfork] [Variety]

Pink and Macklemore continue to describe the original dispute differently. Macklemore says his message concerns Palestinian rights, civilian suffering and Israeli government policy rather than Jewish people. Pink says Palestinians deserve dignity and safety while also arguing that Jewish listeners should be able to say when political rhetoric or imagery makes them feel threatened.

The continuing controversy now encompasses artistic expression, antisemitism, Palestinian advocacy, the authority of stadium owners and concert promoters, the responsibilities of headline performers and the extent to which political disagreements can reshape major entertainment events.