Macklemore had only performed two shows as part of the US leg of Sheeran's tour before being dropped from the remaining shows. This came after a performance at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on 4 September, when the rapper addressed the audience calling for solidarity with Palestine.

"A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so that I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very, very dear to my heart: Free Palestine," he announced.

This led to criticism from the campaign group StopAntisemitism, who expressed that "Jewish fans bought tickets to see Ed Sheeran sing... not to be ambushed by Macklemore's anti-Israel propaganda." While Macklemore stated that he did not intend to criticise Jewish fans the following night, he received further backlash that was followed up with a petition from the Israeli-American Council calling for Macklemore to be removed from the tour.

Macklemore took to social media to address the situation himself, confirming that he was dropped following a series of "difficult conversations" with Sheeran, his longtime friend of over a decade. Read his full statement below:

The artist has since received an outpouring of support from artists, activists, and campaigns alike. Irish hip-hop outfit Kneecap and hip-hop duo Bob Vylan, both of whom have seen the impact of onstage political statements, were among those who commented in solidarity with Macklemore, with Kneecap writing "Free Palestine. They can never silence the truth", while Bob Vylan noted "There is no thanks for a duty".

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg also weighed in, stating: "Full solidarity and free Palestine. Artists' very active silence in the face of injustice and genocide will not be forgotten."

Additional comments came from Saul Williams, Kehlani, Zara Larsson, Paloma Faith, and more. Sheeran has not yet commented on the situation, and a new support act has yet to be confirmed.