Macklemore fans are asking for refunds as Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour falls into disarray. Here's what happened.

Ed Sheeran and Macklemore in 2014. Ethan Miller/Getty Images for iHeartMedia Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour is at the center of a major controversy. Opening act Macklemore was dropped after delivering a pro-Palestinian speech, sparking backlash. Now, every other opening act has left the tour, prompting some fans to demand a refund. Ed Sheeran and Macklemore are all over the headlines this week — and no, you didn't somehow wake up in 2013, listening to "Thrift Shop" and "The A Team" on the radio. The two millennial musicians are now at odds after Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour on September 14, a little over a week after his performances at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium drew headlines — and both support and condemnation — due to his support for Palestinians. Here's what went down at the shows, how Sheeran and Macklemore responded, how fans of both artists reacted, and where the tour stands now. What did Macklemore say at the Ed Sheeran concert? Macklemore joined Sheeran's Loop Tour as an opening act on September 4, with his first show taking place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. During his set, Macklemore expressed his support for the Palestinian people. "A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: 'Free Palestine,'" Macklemore said before performing his song "Hind's Hall" about the student protests at Columbia University. The song was named for Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces in 2024. He added, "I believe that every human being walking on this earth deserves exactly the same freedom." Macklemore at a concert in August 2026. ARNAUD FINISTRE/AFP/Getty Images After some backlash online, which ranged from calling the rapper antisemitic to saying that an Ed Sheeran concert wasn't the right place for his speech, Macklemore stood his ground at his show the following day, September 5, though he did make it clear he wasn't criticizing all Jewish people. "Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you. My message is for peace, love, for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality," he said. On September 12, Pink shared her response to Macklemore's comments on her Instagram, which garnered a lot of coverage. She felt compelled to speak out after fans noticed a repost of hers on Instagram that apparently called out the "Thrift Shop" rapper. View this post on Instagram A post shared by P!NK (@pink) In her post, Pink said, "Last Sunday I reposted somebody else's post about Macklemore's set at Ed Sheeran's show. It said things in words I didn't write, and I wouldn't have chosen all of them." Instead, she was choosing to share her own words, especially because, as a Jew, people had assumed her beliefs. Calling Hamas "a terrorist organization," she said Palestinians "deserve a future that honors their humanity and their aspirations" and that "protecting innocent life comes first, everywhere." But she also criticized Macklemore, writing that he "took the mic to tell all of the Jews in the stadium that it wasn't about them. You don't get to decide that for us." Pink added that she wasn't calling for him to be silenced, but wanted to be able to say "that scared me, and it scared people I love" without having those fears dismissed. Macklemore was dropped from the tour 10 days later On September 14, the promoters behind the tour, Messina Touring Group, issued a statement that announced Macklemore would no longer be part of the tour. "As the concert promoter for Ed Sheeran's US Loop Tour, we have been notified by venues on the upcoming US tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans. After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates," the company said in a statement provided to Variety. While some people online had criticized Macklemore for the stadium performance, others took to the internet to support him after he was dropped from the tour. hey @macklemore im sorry i tweeted in 2014 you should mackle less. you can mackle as much as you want. free palestine ✊🏽 — hayrr x (@hayrr) September 15, 2026 What did Macklemore say about being dropped from Ed Sheeran's tour? Macklemore responded later that day with a multi-slide post on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BEN (@macklemore) "I am not a victim," he wrote. "Ed Sheeran is not a victim." He added, "Ed is my friend. I've known him for 13 years. We've shared late nights, studio sessions, and stages. He has this infectious magic about him that I've grown to love. I consider him a brother." Macklemore cited "media atten