Macklemore Donates $1M to Palestinian Aid After Tour Removal, Challenges Kraft

The 43-year-old rapper Macklemore announced Wednesday that he would donate the full $1 million he earned opening Ed Sheeran's U.S. "Loop Tour" to six organizations providing humanitarian aid to Palestinians. The decision came after he was removed from the tour following performances at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on September 4 and 5, where he performed his song "Hind's Hall" and repeatedly called for a "Free Palestine" during his opening sets.

Macklemore alleged that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, 85, had pressured Sheeran to cut him from the remaining eight scheduled dates by threatening to bar the singer from performing at Gillette Stadium and by coordinating similar ultimatums from other venue owners. Kraft later confirmed he had opposed Macklemore's continued participation, citing what he described as the rapper's history of antisemitic rhetoric. Sheeran, 35, stated that the decision to remove Macklemore came from tour promoters and venue owners rather than from him personally.

In his Instagram post, Macklemore named the six organizations receiving his donation: the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, UNRWA USA National Committee, and American Near East Refugee Aid. He framed the contribution as a way to redirect attention from the controversy surrounding his removal back to what he called the core issue: Palestinians living under military occupation and facing ongoing casualties. He also issued a direct challenge to Kraft, inviting the Patriots owner to match his $1 million donation and arguing that "a Palestinian life is no less valuable than any other life on this earth."

Macklemore acknowledged the limits of his own gesture, writing that "writing a check is one of the least costly forms of solidarity to me." He emphasized instead the work being done by the organizations themselves—the parents seeking medical care, the physicians and paramedics, the journalists and aid workers—and noted that their risk was "of a far different order" than his own. He concluded by urging supporters not to abandon the cause once media attention faded, ending with the phrase "Free Palestine."

Kraft responded swiftly. Before Macklemore's challenge reached him, he said, Ed Sheeran had already called asking him to commit $2 million to match the singer's own donation toward humanitarian relief in the region. In a statement posted on Gillette Stadium's social media accounts, Kraft wrote that he had "dedicated much of my life to building bridges between all people" and that he believed "all lives are worth protecting." He added that Sheeran now planned to reach out to other venue owners to continue collaborative fundraising efforts. Kraft also noted his decades-long support for initiatives creating economic opportunity for Palestinians and bringing young Palestinians and Israelis together to build businesses and relationships.

The removal of Macklemore from the tour sparked a broader exodus. Four other supporting acts—Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and Beoga—all withdrew from the remaining dates in solidarity with the rapper. The controversy thus transformed what began as a dispute over a single performer into a larger statement about the tour's direction and the political positions its participants were willing to take or tolerate.