Pop star Zara Larsson has thrown her support behind Macklemore after the rapper was removed from the remaining U.S. dates of Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour following his outspoken support for Palestine.
Macklemore, 43, made headlines earlier this month when he used his opening set at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium to deliver a passionate pro-Palestinian message, including a call to “Free Palestine.” He also performed his protest track “Hind’s Hall” while footage related to Gaza and pro-Palestinian demonstrations appeared on the stadium screens.
The controversy quickly intensified, with an Israeli-American organization calling for Macklemore to be removed from the tour. On September 14, the tour’s promoter, Messina Touring Group, confirmed that Macklemore would no longer perform on the remaining U.S. dates, saying several venues had indicated they would not allow concerts featuring him and that this could have threatened the wider tour.
Macklemore subsequently addressed the bombshell decision, alleging that pressure from venue owners played a major role in his removal and revealing that he had difficult conversations with Ed Sheeran over the situation.
Now, Zara Larsson is among the growing list of stars publicly showing support for the rapper. She joins other musicians and public figures who have rallied behind Macklemore following the tour fallout.
The situation has sparked a fierce debate online over artists using major concert platforms to speak about political and humanitarian issues — and whether doing so should have consequences for their careers.
Macklemore has maintained that his message is about peace, dignity and equality, while critics have accused him of bringing a divisive political message into a major commercial concert.
