Ed Sheeran and Robert Kraft will donate $2 million each following Macklemore’s $1 million donation to support the Palestinian people. Macklemore had announced that he would allocate the $1 million in net profits he received from accompanying Sheeran on his The Loop tour to organizations supporting Palestine.
It is not immediately clear which organizations Sheeran and Kraft’s money will go to. According to Variety, its representatives have not specified the destination of the donations. Kraft has explained that Sheeran called him to ask him to commit the 2 million and that he will also contact other venue owners.
Macklemore’s donation comes after he was kicked off Sheeran’s tour. Several venues have refused to host his concerts following his pro-Palestine statements at a concert in New Jersey, where he shouted “Free Palestine” and showed images of the destruction in Gaza.
After Macklemore’s departure, the other support acts, Finneas, Aaron Rowe and Lukas Graham, as well as Beoga, Sheeran’s backing band, have also left the tour. All four have expressed their support for Macklemore and Palestine.
Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, had confirmed that Macklemore would not perform there, pointing to his “recent actions” and what he considers a history of anti-Semitic rhetoric and images. Macklemore, for his part, has accused Kraft of pressuring other stadium owners to follow his lead.
