Macklemore has pledged his entire $1 million net earnings from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to six organisations supporting Palestinians.
The rapper announced the donation on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, days after he was removed from the remaining United States dates of the tour following his public comments supporting Palestinians.
Macklemore said the money would go to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, UNRWA USA and American Near East Refugee Aid.
In his statement, the rapper said he wanted attention to return to Palestinians affected by the ongoing conflict rather than remain focused on the controversy surrounding his removal from the tour.
“With everything that has happened over the last 48 hours, I want to bring the conversation back to where it belongs,” Macklemore said.
He said his donation was intended to support organisations working directly with Palestinians.
“I will be donating the entire $1 million of my net earnings from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to six organisations working directly to support the Palestinian people,” he said.
Macklemore also challenged Robert Kraft to match the $1 million donation.
“Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting,” he said.
He added, “A Palestinian life is no less valuable than any other life on this earth.”
The donation followed Macklemore’s removal from the Loop Tour after performances in which he publicly spoke in support of Palestinians.
The rapper said the donation was not intended to make the controversy about him, arguing that the focus should remain on the people and organisations affected by the conflict.
“That is what this has always been about,” he said, referring to the Palestinian cause, adding that it was “not me, not a tour, not the headlines or the controversy.”
Macklemore also acknowledged that donating money was considerably easier for him than the work being carried out by people directly affected by the conflict.
“Writing a check is one of the least costly forms of solidarity available to me,” he said.
He added that he was contributing because he could, while the organisations receiving the money were carrying out humanitarian work.
The rapper further said he would continue directing his attention towards Palestinians and called for continued public attention to their situation.
“When the news cycle moves on, which it will, don’t move with it,” he said.
The announcement came after the controversy surrounding Macklemore’s participation in Sheeran’s tour intensified following his appearances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey earlier in September.
Sheeran later said Macklemore’s removal was ultimately a decision made by the tour promoter after venues communicated that they would not host the remaining shows if he remained on the lineup.
Kraft, whose venue was among those involved in the dispute, had publicly criticised Macklemore’s comments and cited what he described as a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery.
Macklemore has rejected allegations of antisemitism and has continued to defend his public support for Palestinians.
Following Macklemore’s $1 million challenge, Kraft said Sheeran had already contacted him about committing $2 million towards humanitarian aid in the region before Macklemore publicly asked him to match the donation.
Kraft said Sheeran planned to approach other venue owners about contributing to the humanitarian effort.
Macklemore’s announcement has therefore added a major charitable dimension to the controversy surrounding his departure from the Loop Tour, with his earnings from the tour now committed to six organisations providing support to Palestinians.
