Rapper Macklemore said Monday that he’d been barred from performing at Gillette Stadium at Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s behest, and that Kraft had led a successful effort to bar him from other venues as well.
As a result, Macklemore wrote on Instagram, he was removed from singer Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour.
“Ed told me that Robert Kraft called him,” Macklemore wrote on Instagram. “We were scheduled to play Gillette Stadium later this month, which is owned by the Kraft Group. Ed told me that Kraft said 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 has previously been criticized by the artist Pink and others after making a “Free Palestine” speech during a performance at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. He made the speech before performing his song “Hind’s Hall,” an homage to the pro-Palestinian encampments at Columbia University in 2024, in front of images from the war in Gaza.
At the time, Macklemore also offered this caveat: “To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you. My message is for peace. Love. For all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality.”
In a lengthy statement provided to GBH News, Kraft did not dispute Macklemore’s claims, and seemed to allude to Macklemore’s 2014 performance in a costume that was widely regarded as antisemitic in explaining Kraft’s actions. The statement follows in full.
“Gillette Stadium has a longstanding commitment to providing a welcoming environment for all guests and ensuring that events held at our venue do not provide a platform for hate speech,” Kraft said. “Based on Macklemore’s recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran’s shows in New Jersey, and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community, we determined that his participation in the September 25th and 26th concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line.
”This decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf,“ Kraft added. ”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, a United States and globally (including Canada, European Union, United Kingdom, and Japan) designated terrorist organization whose horrific actions have caused immeasurable suffering for Palestinians and Israelis alike.
“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.
”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.
“I would 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.”
