Every remaining opening act on Ed Sheeran's LOOP Tour has pulled out in protest after Macklemore was removed from the lineup following a "Free Palestine" speech at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Finneas, Myles Smith, Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham and Beoga all announced on Instagram that they will no longer perform on the tour's remaining American dates, which resume Friday in Philadelphia.
Macklemore had been due to open for Sheeran at eight of the ten remaining shows but was dropped on Tuesday after a boycott petition targeted him over comments he made during performances in New Jersey on September 4 and 5.
Opening acts speak out
Finneas, the musician and producer known as Billie Eilish's brother and longtime collaborator, was first to withdraw. "Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed. I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people," he wrote.
Irish singer Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham and Beoga also posted statements on Tuesday confirming they were leaving the tour. Rowe wrote that Sheeran "has been a friend to me and has changed my life" but said "as Irish people, we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation," adding he could not "stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up."
Lukas Graham said growing up in a small Danish community meant speaking your mind was part of everyday life, and that having more money did not invalidate someone's opinions. "We should be able to speak about war, about civilians being killed, about children who deserve to grow up. Wherever they live. Whatever flag flies over them," the band wrote, adding: "I love Ed, and I'm grateful for everything we've shared. That hasn't changed. But I can't put these words out into the world and carry on with this tour as things stand."
Beoga, the Irish band that joins Sheeran onstage for Galway Girl, said they had been friends with him for more than a decade but that playing venues "that silence anyone advocating for a Free Palestine is simply not an option for us." They echoed Macklemore, writing that "the whole episode is once again serving to distract from the real issue, over 1000 Palestinians have been killed since the most recent so-called ceasefire."
Myles Smith, who supported Sheeran on his 2025 tour, confirmed on Wednesday he had also dropped out, while defending his friend: "Ed is not the victim here. Palestinians are. But let's not get confused: Ed is also not the perpetrator." He described working in a home with Holocaust survivors and spending time with Jewish and Muslim communities while growing up in Luton, and said "supporting Palestinian life, safety and freedom does not require me to betray someone I know to be a good human being."
Why Macklemore was dropped
During his September 5 MetLife Stadium show, Macklemore wore a keffiyeh and performed his 2024 song Hind's Hall, whose lyrics criticise Israeli actions in Gaza and whose proceeds go to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. He told the crowd he wanted people in Gaza and the West Bank to know "we have not forgotten them" and praised Columbia University students who had led campus protests.
Macklemore said in an Instagram statement that Sheeran had told him billionaire Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium and the New England Patriots, personally called Sheeran to say the rapper would not be allowed to perform there. He claimed Kraft had "rallied some of the other stadium owners" who issued an ultimatum that Sheeran's shows would be cancelled if Macklemore stayed on the tour.
Macklemore said he did not blame Sheeran personally, calling their week of conversations "rooted in love and respect" but ending "in a place of fundamental disagreement." He wrote: "There is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed," and said he had lost "money, brand deals, sponsorships, festivals, private shows, relationships and access" over his stance. He added he hoped the episode was not "the end of my relationship with Ed," citing 13 years of friendship.
Sheeran breaks his silence
Sheeran, 35, responded with his own statement on Tuesday, saying he was "appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine" and that "the suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy." He said venues had told him they would pull his shows if Macklemore remained on the bill, and that he had spent the week trying, unsuccessfully, to find a resolution.
"Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter's decision, it was not mine," Sheeran wrote, adding that Macklemore's contract was with the promoter rather than with him. He said he would never let down fans or his touring crew, and defended his long-standing avoidance of public political statements: "My audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds. Those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum." He said he respected "Macklemore's strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes," but that he preferred to use his platform to keep conversations open.
Kraft and the promoter respond
Kraft defended blocking Macklemore, saying in a statement that Gillette Stadium had "a longstanding commitment to providing a welcoming environment for all guests" and that, based on Macklemore's actions and "a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery," his participation in the September 25 and 26 shows would "cross that line."
Messina Touring Group, the promoter for the American leg of the LOOP Tour, told Rolling Stone that venues had warned they would not allow concerts to go ahead with Macklemore on the lineup, which "would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans." After talks with stakeholders, the promoter said, Macklemore would not perform on the remaining dates.
Pink weighs in and past controversy resurfaces
Singer Pink reposted an Instagram Story from the group StopAntisemitism criticising Macklemore's MetLife performance and calling for concertgoers to be owed "apologies and refunds." Macklemore responded by reposting his MetLife speech with the caption: "Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial."
The controversy has also revived scrutiny of a 2014 incident in which Macklemore wore a disguise onstage in Seattle that many condemned as an antisemitic caricature. He apologised at the time, saying: "I would never intentionally put down anybody for the fabric that makes them who they are."
The Daily Mail said it had contacted Sheeran's representatives for comment on the acts' departures and had not received a response. With no openers now scheduled and 18 dates still remaining through the end of the year, it remains unclear how the LOOP Tour will proceed.
