Rapper Macklemore says he will donate $1 million to organizations supporting Palestinians, days after being dropped from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour. Sheeran has asked billionaire Robert Kraft to commit $2 million.
Macklemore announced the donation on his social media accounts on Wednesday, DR reports. The money goes to six organizations that support the Palestinian people. He also urged Kraft, the Jewish American billionaire who had him removed from the tour, to match the sum.
Kraft wrote on X that he had been asked to give twice that amount. According to his statement, Sheeran called him earlier the same day and asked him to contribute $2 million. DR notes that this is the first time Sheeran’s own donation has been mentioned.
The BBC reported on September 17, 2026, that Kraft has not yet confirmed whether he has paid the $2 million to help the region address the humanitarian crisis. DR puts the amount at 13 million Danish kroner.
As reported by Reuters, Macklemore said he was removed from the tour after making “Free Palestine” comments at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4, 2026. Reuters reported on September 17 that the $1 million represents his net earnings from the tour.
How the firing came about
Per DR, Kraft contacted Sheeran himself after learning of Macklemore’s statements in support of Palestine at earlier concerts. He asked Sheeran to drop the rapper, or the British pop star would not be allowed to play at Gillette Stadium in Boston or at other planned U.S. shows. The BBC reported that Kraft said he banned Macklemore from the stadium, citing what he called antisemitic rhetoric.
DR reports that the firing led Danish band Lukas Graham and Sheeran’s own band to withdraw from the tour. The conflict centers on the war in Gaza.
Sheeran has said the decision to drop Macklemore was made by his concert promoters, Messina Touring Group, and not by him. Reuters reported on September 15 that the promoter said venues had told it they would not allow Macklemore on the bill. According to the same report, that would have risked canceling the tour.
Reuters also reported that Sheeran’s U.S. tour was due to resume on September 19, 2026, in Philadelphia. Kraft is a friend of U.S. President Donald Trump, DR notes.
