Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, was named among seven US venues that reportedly objected to Macklemore remaining on Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour, months after the public agency managing the stadium defended Ye's right to perform there on free speech grounds. The Grammy-winning rapper behind 'Thrift Shop' and 'Same Love' was removed from Sheeran's remaining support dates on Monday, 14 September, after promoter Messina Touring Group said upcoming venues would not allow concerts to proceed with Macklemore on the lineup.
The venue dispute emerged after Macklemore's 4 September performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where he said 'Free Palestine' before performing 'Hind's Hall' and spoke about Gaza and the West Bank. His removal has drawn attention to Raymond James because the Tampa Sports Authority, a public agency, took a different public position when politicians sought to stop Ye, formerly Kanye West, from performing two concerts there in June over his history of antisemitic statements.
Raymond James Previously Invoked Free Speech
"Free Palestine" is not hate speech, but Kanye's Heil Hitler song was and you had no issues having him perform at your stadium AFTER he wrote that.
— Jack McBryan (@McBDirect) September 14, 2026
The grift has never been more obvious; it has never been about protecting Jews and has always been about Israel. https://t.co/RE7trWsaUX
In June, US Sen. Rick Scott and other Florida officials urged the Tampa Sports Authority to cancel Ye's shows at Raymond James Stadium on 26 and 28 June. The authority rejected those calls, saying it condemned antisemitism but also 'respect[s] free speech rights guaranteed under the US Constitution, even when we disagree with that speech'. Both concerts ultimately went ahead.
Ye's promoter had also negotiated specific contractual protection for the shows. The agreement barred cancellation over the artist's identity, past public statements, political viewpoints or anticipated expressive content, while legal experts said the public status of Raymond James raised additional First Amendment considerations. Raymond James is owned by Hillsborough County and managed by the Tampa Sports Authority, which is an independent public agency.
Macklemore Dropped After Venue Pressure
Messina Touring Group said it was informed by venues on upcoming US dates that 'they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup'. The promoter said keeping him on the bill could have forced cancellations affecting hundreds of thousands of fans. Macklemore had been scheduled to support Sheeran at eight of the final 10 shows on the US leg.
Raymond James was subsequently named among the venues that reportedly objected, alongside stadiums in Philadelphia, Foxborough, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Charlotte and Arlington. A Tampa Sports Authority representative confirmed Macklemore would not appear at the upcoming Tampa show but did not publicly explain why or say who made the decision. Sheeran's official schedule lists the Tampa concert for 7 November, the final North American stadium stop.
Macklemore has said his advocacy is directed at Israeli government policy rather than Jewish people. During the MetLife performance, he told the crowd, 'I said Free Palestine', while separately stressing that criticism of Israel was not criticism of Jewish people. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium, said Macklemore's recent actions and what he described as a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery crossed a line for his venue.
The Public Venue Question
Kanye's "heil hitler" - free speech!
— andrew (@teachrprecarity) September 14, 2026
Macklemore's "Free Palestine" - hate speech! https://t.co/zcHw4t6yQB
The two cases are not legally identical. Ye had a contract clause protecting his shows from cancellation over political viewpoints, while no comparable provision for Macklemore has been made public, and the Tampa Sports Authority has not said his political speech caused the lineup change. No court has ruled that the reported decision involving Macklemore violated the First Amendment.
The contrast nevertheless centres on the same county-owned stadium. In June, its manager defended allowing Ye to perform by explicitly citing constitutional free speech principles; in September, Raymond James was reported among venues objecting to Macklemore after political remarks onstage. What remains unresolved is who at Raymond James made or supported the decision, what grounds were used, and whether the Tampa Sports Authority views the outcome as consistent with the free speech position it publicly stated three months earlier.
