A severe controversy erupted over the weekend at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where tens of thousands of music fans packed the venue for a performance by British pop superstar Ed Sheeran. For many Israeli and Jewish attendees in the crowd, the evening took a jarring and offensive turn when opening act Macklemore leveraged his set to deliver a series of aggressive anti-Israel messages.
Video: Social media
Macklemore, featured as one of the official opening acts on the stadium tour, took the stage wearing a keffiyeh, shouted “Free Palestine” before the crowd of tens of thousands, and delivered an extended pro-Palestinian speech. During his performance, the rapper stated that he wanted people from Gaza to Judea and Samaria to know that they have not been forgotten, contrasting claims of peace and security with fighter jets and bombs, and capped his monologue by demanding the liberation of Palestine alongside other global conflict zones.
Later in his set, the rapper performed his virulently anti-Israel protest track “Hind’s Hall,” while stadium screens broadcast footage from the Gaza Strip and pro-Palestinian street demonstrations. The song, first released in 2024 amid disruptive protest encampments across American college campuses, levels accusations of “genocide” and “apartheid” against Israel, attacks Zionism, and claims that the “Nakba” never ended.
Video: Social media
The rapper is officially listed on Ed Sheeran’s website as a recurring opening artist selected for several major stadium stops across the U.S. tour, including dates in Philadelphia, Foxborough, Atlanta, and Indianapolis. Following viral video clips circulating online, sharp backlash emerged from Jewish and Israeli families who purchased tickets expecting a music concert, only to be subjected to an unsolicited anti-Israel political demonstration.
As of now, neither Ed Sheeran nor his tour production management has issued a public response regarding the incident.