Macklemore announces $1m donation after Ed Sheeran row - as stadium owner responds

The stadium owner at the heart of the row over the removal of rapper Macklemore from Ed Sheeran's US tour says Sheeran asked him to match his own $2m (£1.5m) donation for "aid in the region".

US star Macklemore was dropped as the opening act on Sheeran's Loop tour following pro-Palestine comments he made during a show in New Jersey.

On Monday, Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft barred the rapper from performing in the Massachusetts venue, saying he would not "provide a platform for hate speech".

Sheeran's reported $2m donation follows Macklemore's earlier pledge to donate his $1m (£750,000) net earnings from Sheeran's upcoming tour to organisations supporting Palestinian people.

Macklemore, 43, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, had challenged Mr Kraft, who did not allow him to perform at his Gillette Stadium as part of The Loop tour, to match his donation.

It is not clear whether Mr Kraft has agreed to give the $2m, or to which organisations or charities the money would go. Sheeran is also yet to publicly confirm his donation.

Following the controversy over Macklemore's removal from the tour, Sheeran's other support acts, including Danish band Lukas Graham and Billie Eilish's brother and musical collaborator, Finneas, subsequently pulled out in protest.

In a statement posted on social media on Wednesday, Macklemore wrote: "With everything that has happened over the last 48 hours, I want to bring the conversation back to where it belongs: to the Palestinian people who are still being killed, still living under military occupation, and still fighting for their freedom.

"I will be donating the entire $1 million of my net earnings from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour to six organizations working directly to support the Palestinian people. And I invite Robert Kraft to match my donation. Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting. A Palestinian life is no less valuable than any other life on this earth."

It was Macklemore's second big announcement of the week, after revealing on Monday that he had been dropped from Sheeran's tour.

Kraft: 'I believe deeply that all lives are worth protecting'

Billionaire Mr Kraft, who is also the owner of the New England Patriots, posted his statement on Gillette Stadium's official X account shortly after Macklemore's statement.

The 85-year-old wrote: "I have dedicated much of my life to building bridges between all people. I believe deeply that all lives are worth protecting.

"Earlier today, before Macklemore challenged me to match his donation, Ed called me and asked me to commit $2 million to match his donation to aid in the region to fight this humanitarian crisis."

He went on: "Ed now plans to reach out to other venue owners and our goal is to continue to work together to build bridges."

Sheeran: 'I am not complicit'

Earlier this week, Sheeran said he was "appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine", and described the "suffering and pain caused on both sides" as a human tragedy in a lengthy Instagram statement.

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"I am not complicit," he said. "I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn't mean I don't have them, and it doesn't mean I don't care."

Sheeran, who performed his song Perfect for the first dance at Mr Kraft's 2022 wedding, also said that "Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter's decision, it was not mine", adding that the rapper's contract for the tour "was with the promoter, not me".

In a statement provided to Sky News' US partner network NBC News, Mr Kraft had said the decision on his venues was reached following Macklemore's comments and "a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community".

He said: "This decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf. Their pain and loss are real."

(c) Sky News 2026: Macklemore announces $1m donation after Ed Sheeran row - as stadium owner responds