Stadium owner Robert Kraft says Ed Sheeran asked him to donate $2m in aid after Macklemore backlash
Kraft said Sheeran asked him to match the donation as Macklemore pledged $1 million and all of Sheeran’s support acts later quit the tour.
- On September 14, promoter Messina Touring Group dropped rapper Macklemore from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour after venues threatened to cancel shows following his pro-Palestinian remarks at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
- New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft barred Macklemore from Gillette Stadium, citing a "broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery" he deemed offensive to the Jewish community. Macklemore alleged Kraft rallied other stadium owners to issue an ultimatum.
- Donating $1 million in net earnings to six Palestinian relief organizations, Macklemore publicly invited Kraft to match the gift, stating, "Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting."
- Billionaire Kraft pledged $2 million for humanitarian aid, stating Ed Sheeran requested the match beforehand; Sheeran maintained removing Macklemore was the promoter's decision, not his own.
- All remaining supporting acts—including Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and Beoga—withdrew from the tour in solidarity. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez warned that concentrated power among venue owners poses a dangerous precedent for silencing political speech.
278 Articles
278 Articles
The fact that Andreas Gabalier expressed himself in the "Krone" interview on political debates makes some people angry. And due to the divided opinions on the Gaza conflict, Ed Sheeran could have to go on tour without supporting acts. This once again raises the question of how much political opinion has room on the concert stage. What do you think about it?
According to the American rapper, a nice amount of money is coming into the accounts of several organizations that support Palestine and its people.
A clash behind the scenes of an international tour has turned into a race of generosity with millions of dollars. At the center of the story there are Macklemore, Ed Sheeran and the American football magnate Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots. The spark burst when it emerged that Macklemore would [...] The article "1 million for Palestine," now it's up to you: Macklemore's challenge. Ed Sheeran raises with double and comes into play…
“Before Macklemore challenged me to match his donation, Ed called me and asked me to commit $2 million”: Robert Kraft says that Ed Sheeran has asked him to match his own donation to 'fight this humanitarian crisis'
Another day, another new development in the Ed Sheeran/Macklemore/Robert Kraft fallout. As Sheeran is working out how to fill several hours of stage time without any support acts or a backing band, it’s emerged that the singer asked Kraft – the owner of Gillette Stadium, who was instrumental in getting Macklemore thrown off the tour – to match his $2 million donation to aid in the region. The 85-year-old billionaire and owner of the New England …
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