Macklemore says he will donate $1 million in net earnings from his time supporting Ed Sheeran on the Loop Tour to six organizations working to assist Palestinian people. The rapper also publicly invited New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to match the donation.
The announcement follows Macklemore’s removal from Sheeran’s tour earlier in the week, after he said “free Palestine” onstage and delivered a political speech at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey at the beginning of September. Macklemore has suggested that Kraft helped persuade stadium owners not to host him, though that is Macklemore’s assertion. A representative for Kraft declined to comment on the request to match the contribution.
The donation and the organizations named
In a social-media post, Macklemore said the entire $1 million represented his net earnings from the tour. Net earnings generally means the money remaining after applicable costs and deductions, rather than the total amount of revenue attached to an engagement. The available information does not provide a detailed accounting of how that figure was calculated.
He named six intended recipients:
- Palestine Children’s Relief Fund
- Heal Palestine
- Gaza Soup Kitchen
- Medical Aid for Palestinians
- UNRWA USA National Committee
- Anera
Macklemore framed the contribution as an effort to redirect attention away from the immediate dispute around his tour removal and toward Palestinians and the humanitarian workers, medical personnel, journalists, organizers and activists he referenced in his message. He said he planned to remain vocal in support of Palestinian liberation and urged followers not to let their attention move on with the news cycle.
“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,” Macklemore wrote, adding an invitation for Kraft to contribute an equal amount.
What happened with the Loop Tour support lineup
The donation arrives amid a rapid change to the Loop Tour’s opening-act roster. Macklemore was removed from the tour following his onstage remarks. Sheeran then said that the decision was made by the promoter rather than by him personally, while also saying he preferred to remain neutral on political causes.
After that statement, the other listed supporting acts—Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham and Beoga—said they would no longer participate. Their announcements described the withdrawals as an act of solidarity with Macklemore and the Palestinian people.
That distinction matters because a major tour involves more parties than the headlining performer. A promoter is the entity responsible for putting on an event, which can include venue arrangements, ticketing logistics, staffing and commercial risk. A touring artist, venue operator and promoter may all have input in a production, but they are not automatically the same decision-maker. Sheeran’s statement therefore addressed responsibility for Macklemore’s removal, rather than resolving the broader disagreement surrounding it.
A donation is separate from the dispute over responsibility
Several elements of this story should be kept separate. Macklemore’s stated plan is a $1 million donation to the six named organizations. His invitation to Kraft is a request, not a confirmed matching gift. Kraft’s representative declined comment, so there is no indication in the available information that a match has been accepted or will occur.
Likewise, Macklemore’s allegation concerning Kraft and stadium owners has not been established by the information at hand. Sheeran has said Macklemore’s dismissal was a promoter’s decision and not his own. Those are different public accounts surrounding a decision that has had immediate consequences for the tour’s supporting lineup.
For readers following entertainment-industry disputes, separating verified actions from claims and responses is especially important. The contribution is Macklemore’s announced action; the proposed matching contribution remains unanswered; and the allegations about who influenced the removal remain contested rather than settled fact.
Why “net earnings” is the meaningful figure here
The wording of Macklemore’s pledge signals that the $1 million is tied to what he says he cleared from the tour after expenses, not necessarily a headline fee or gross tour income. In music touring, the amount associated with a performance can differ substantially from the money an artist ultimately retains once the costs of participating are accounted for. The announcement identifies the total Macklemore says he will donate, but it does not break down those costs or provide the underlying agreements.
Using net earnings as the basis for a pledge can also make its connection to a particular run of shows more explicit: Macklemore is presenting the money as proceeds from the Loop Tour support role, then directing that amount to the named Palestinian-support organizations. The announcement does not state a timetable for the transfer, how the funds will be divided among the six groups, or whether any additional donations are planned.
The broader entertainment impact
The development illustrates how political expression, tour operations and public philanthropy can quickly become intertwined. Macklemore’s onstage comments preceded his removal; Sheeran publicly distanced himself from the decision; four other support acts then departed; and Macklemore answered with a donation announcement and a high-profile challenge to Kraft.
It also demonstrates that “neutrality” from a headliner does not necessarily stop a controversy from reshaping an event’s lineup. Sheeran’s stance did not prevent the dispute from affecting the opening acts, because each performer could make an independent choice about whether to remain on the bill. Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham and Beoga each announced their exit in solidarity, changing the practical result for the tour regardless of who made the original removal decision.
The incident belongs to a larger pattern in which public figures use social platforms, live stages and their own earnings to make political commitments. That does not make every claim made in the resulting debate verifiable, and it does not erase the operational role of promoters and venues. It does show how a performer’s decision to speak can extend beyond a single set, affecting collaborators, bookings and the public expectations around a tour.
For more coverage of music-world disputes involving public figures and substantial legal stakes, see the latest on Ye’s Donda Academy damages demand.
What is confirmed and what remains unknown
Confirmed by the public statements described here: Macklemore says he will donate $1 million in net Loop Tour earnings; he named six organizations as recipients; he invited Kraft to match the sum; Kraft’s representative declined comment; Sheeran said the promoter made the decision to remove Macklemore; and Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham and Beoga said they were leaving the tour in solidarity.
Still unknown from the available details: whether Kraft will make a matching donation, the eventual distribution of the $1 million among the six groups, when the funds will be delivered, and the full decision-making process behind Macklemore’s departure from the tour. Macklemore’s claim about Kraft’s involvement remains his claim, while Sheeran’s statement identifies the promoter as responsible for the removal decision.
