One Instagram repost was enough to put Pink in the middle of the controversy surrounding his opening sets for Ed Sheeran.
The singer shared a post from advocacy group StopAntisemitism criticizing Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian remarks at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, according to TMZ.
Macklemore, meanwhile, used his Sept. 4 and 5 opening sets to call for a “Free Palestine” before performing his 2024 protest song “Hind’s Hall,” accompanied by imagery related to Gaza and the West Bank.
By Sept. 7, the dispute had moved beyond MetLife Stadium. The Israeli American Council was seeking Macklemore’s removal from Sheeran’s remaining U.S. dates, Macklemore had publicly defended his message, and Pink was facing criticism over the post she chose to amplify.
Pink Reposted a Message Calling the Performance ‘Awful’
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StopAntisemitism authored the criticism of Macklemore. The original post called the performance “awful” and argued that concertgoers were owed apologies and refunds. Pink reshared the post to her Instagram Story without adding a statement explaining which parts she endorsed.
Later on Sept. 7, Pink shared a series of unrelated-looking memes and quotations to her Instagram Stories about criticism, honesty, being disliked and being cast as a villain. None named Macklemore or explicitly identified the posts as a response to the controversy.
Macklemore Defended His Message After the Backlash
Macklemore is speaking out about his call to “Free Palestine,” which the rapper says is not a “criticism” of Jewish people:
“My message is for peace; love for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality.”https://t.co/oXR5jhZJTH pic.twitter.com/0r5OYrFXbc
— Variety (@Variety) September 7, 2026
Macklemore addressed the criticism directly by sharing video from his MetLife appearance to his official X account with the message, “Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial.”
The video showed the more extensive speech Macklemore delivered during Sheeran’s second MetLife show on Sept. 5. Addressing Jewish listeners directly, he said his criticism of Israel and his positions on the war in Gaza were “in no way a criticism of you,” adding that his message was about peace, dignity and equality for all people.
Macklemore also called for freedom for Palestinians and people in Lebanon, Cuba, Congo and Sudan before performing “Hind’s Hall.” He originally released the song in 2024 in support of the pro-Palestinian campus protest movement, naming it after the building Columbia University demonstrators renamed for Palestinian child Hind Rajab.
Fans at MetLife Had Opposing Reactions
The political message divided some of the people attending Sheeran’s two New Jersey concerts. CBS New York interviewed concertgoers who objected to hearing political statements during the opening set, including attendees who said they left their seats during Macklemore’s performance and returned for Sheeran.
Others defended his decision to use the stadium platform to speak about an issue he has addressed publicly for years. One attendee told CBS that artists should be able to use their platforms to discuss causes they care about.
The Petition Has Not Removed Macklemore From the Tour
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The Israeli American Council launched a petition asking Sheeran, his tour leadership and upcoming venues to remove Macklemore from the remaining shows. The organization argued that the issue was not whether Macklemore could hold political views, but whether an opening act should use a mainstream concert platform to deliver what it described as a one-sided political message.
Sheeran had not publicly responded to the controversy and neither he nor his team had announced any change to Macklemore’s scheduled appearances.
For now, Sheeran’s official tour page continues to list Macklemore as support alongside Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe. The next scheduled show featuring Macklemore is Sept. 19 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.