Rapper Macklemore has been removed from the remaining dates of Ed Sheeran's US stadium tour after several venues refused to host concerts with him on the lineup, Rolling Stone reported.
The decision follows controversy over Macklemore's performances earlier this month, during which he called for a "Free Palestine," displayed images from Gaza, and performed his anti-Israel song "Hind's Hall."
According to Rolling Stone, Messina Touring Group, which promotes the US leg of Sheeran's Loop Tour, said it had been informed by venues hosting upcoming concerts that they would not permit the shows to take place with Macklemore on the lineup.
The promoter said that keeping Macklemore on the tour could therefore result in the cancellation of concerts affecting hundreds of thousands of fans. Following discussions with relevant parties, it was decided that Macklemore would no longer perform on the remaining dates he had been scheduled to support Sheeran.
Macklemore had been scheduled to perform at eight of the ten remaining concerts on the US leg of the tour.
Rolling Stone reported that the venues which allegedly objected included Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC, AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, and Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL.
A representative of the Tampa Sports Authority confirmed to Rolling Stone that Macklemore would not appear at the upcoming Tampa concert, while adding that the concert itself would proceed as planned.
The development comes after the Israeli-American Civic Action (IAC), which represents more than 150,000 Israeli-Americans, launched a petition calling on Sheeran and the management of the Loop Tour to remove Macklemore.
The petition followed Macklemore's performances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. During the first performance, before an audience of more than 80,000 people, Macklemore called out "Free Palestine," performed "Hind's Hall," and displayed images from Gaza and political messages on the stadium's screens.
The IAC argued that the controversy was not about Macklemore's right to freedom of expression, but about using an international concert stage to advance what it described as a "one-sided political agenda."
"This was an Ed Sheeran concert - not a political rally, not a protest, and not an activist event," the petition stated.
Rolling Stone reported that Macklemore again called for a "Free Palestine" during his second MetLife Stadium appearance and addressed Jewish members of the audience, saying his criticism of Israel was not directed against them.
The controversy also drew criticism from StopAntisemitism, while singer Pink shared a post criticizing Macklemore's performance. Pink later clarified that she was not calling for Macklemore to be removed and did not object to his calls for a "Free Palestine," but said that as a Jewish mother, the incident had frightened her and people she loves.
Sheeran's North American Loop Tour is scheduled to continue through November 7, with Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe continuing as supporting performers.