Rapper Macklemore announced he is donating $1 million from earnings on Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to Palestinian relief funds, in response to being fired for supporting Palestine. The decision follows pressure from venue owners like Robert Kraft, who threatened not to host shows if Macklemore remained. Kraft responded to Macklemore's donation by suggesting a $2 million endowment without confirming his own contribution, while Sheeran’s other support acts have also dropped out due to the controversy.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Based on the information provided across these articles, here's a summary of key points:
- Macklemore's Donation:
- Macklemore (Ben Haggerty) has pledged to donate $1 million from his earnings during Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to organizations supporting Palestinians.
- The donation aims to highlight the cause for Palestinian rights and support those affected by military occupation.
- Kraft's Response:
- Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium and the New England Patriots, initially banned Macklemore from performing at his venue due to concerns about antisemitic rhetoric.
- Kraft later announced that he would donate $2 million in aid, following Sheeran's request and Macklemore’s challenge. However, Kraft did not specify where exactly these funds will be directed.
- Sheeran's Role:
- Ed Sheeran has maintained neutrality on the political debate over Palestine but requested Kraft to make a donation of $2 million.
- According to Sheeran, the decision to drop Macklemore as an opening act was made by tour promoters and venue owners.
- Support Act Pullouts:
- Following Macklemore's removal from the Loop Tour, other support acts including Aaron Rowe, Finneas (Billie Eilish’s brother), Lukas Graham, and Beoga also pulled out of the remaining dates.
- Public Reaction and Media Coverage:
- The controversy gained significant media attention with various artists, stadium owners, and fans voicing their opinions.
- Macklemore’s donation was seen as a way to continue advocating for Palestinian rights while facing backlash from pro-Israel supporters.
- Future of the Tour:
- Sheeran still has 17 dates left on his Loop Tour across North and South America with performances scheduled up until December in Mexico City.
These articles highlight the complexities surrounding public political statements, artistic freedom, and financial implications when it comes to high-profile tours and stadium venues.
Written for “Macklemore Palestinian Donation Contr…” on 2026-09-18,
grounded in this article and the 15 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.35, but all 2 of its quote(s) are attributed speech - words the article quotes from someone, not the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 16764: attributed speech only · logged 2026-09-17
Macklemore is donating $1 million of his earnings from supporting Ed Sheeran‘s Loop Tour to Palestinian relief funds and is urging Robert Kraft, among other stadium owners hosting the Thinking Out Loud singer’s tour, to follow suit.
asserted
Macklemore → donate → suit
Macklemore said Wednesday in an Instagram post that he wants to “bring the conversation back to where it belongs: to the Palestinian people,” and will be donating the entirety of his $1 million net earnings from Sheeran’s tour to organizations working directly to support the Palestinian people.
“I invite Robert Kraft to match my donation.
asserted
I → say → donation
Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting.
asserted
lives → disagree → this
A Palestinian life is no less valuable than any other life on this earth,” his statement reads.
asserted
statement → read → earth
The rapper was dismissed from Ed Sheeran’s tour Monday, 10 days after he said “Free Palestine” and that the people of Gaza and the “occupied West Bank” had not been forgotten while on stage at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sept. 4, before performing his song Hind’s Hall, about pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia.
asserted
people → dismiss → Columbia
Sheeran confirmed his removal came after Robert Kraft, the owner of Gillette Stadium, where the British singer is scheduled to perform on Sept. 25, and other owners said they would not allow the shows to happen if Macklemore was present.
asserted
Macklemore → confirm → Sept.
Get breaking National news
Macklemore said earlier this week that Sheeran had informed him Kraft and several other venue owners had rallied together to give Sheeran an ultimatum.
asserted
Kraft → get → ultimatum
“If Macklemore stays on tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues,” he wrote.
asserted
he → stay → venues
Sheeran said Tuesday that he had been involved in talks with various parties, including Kraft, to try and “build a bridge,” but that the venue and the promoter’s decision was “final.”
asserted
venue → say → bridge
In a statement released shortly after Macklemore pledged $1 million, Kraft, who also owns the New England Patriots NFL franchise, said he was contacted by Sheeran, who asked him to make a $2 million donation to “aid in the region.”
asserted
who → release → region
In the statement, Kraft said he was asked to match a $2 million endowment he said Sheeran was making.
asserted
Sheeran → say → endowment
The singer has not announced if he has donated funds, or to whom.
asserted
he → announce → whom
Macklemore’s donation comes a day after all of Sheeran’s remaining support acts dropped out of the tour, citing solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
asserted
all → come → cause
Kraft said Sheeran is reaching out to other venues to “continue to work together to build bridges.”
“In addition, I’d like the people who are speaking in support of the Palestinian people to know that for decades, I have supported efforts that create opportunity for Palestinians and have brought young Palestinians and Israelis together to build businesses, create jobs and forge relationships,” his statement continued.
asserted
statement → say → relationships
In a separate statement on Monday, Kraft said the decision to cancel Macklemore was a result of his recent comments “and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.”
asserted
we → say → community
“This decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf.
asserted
decision → diminish → behalf
In 2014, Macklemore appeared on stage wearing a black beard, wig and prosthetic nose at a show in Seattle, which Jewish activist groups said at the time resembled an antisemitic caricature of an Orthodox Jew.
asserted
groups → appear → Jew
Macklemore later apologized for his attire, saying, “I acknowledge how the costume could, within a context of stereotyping, be ascribed to a Jewish caricature,” he wrote.
uncertain
he → apologize → caricature
“I am here to say that it was absolutely not my intention and unfortunately at the time I did not foresee the costume to be viewed in such regard.”
asserted
costume → say → regard
The Aporia
