Ed Sheeran is facing a wave of resignations from his own touring band and several supporting acts after his team removed rapper Macklemore from the American leg of the Loop tour. Macklemore had voiced support for Palestine from the stage, and his exit has triggered a chain reaction of solidarity from other artists on the bill.
Sheeran issued an official statement attempting to calm the situation, saying the decision to drop Macklemore was not his own but came from the tour's promoters and the owners of the venues where he was due to perform. The explanation did not stop a cascade of cancellations in the hours that followed.
The remaining opening acts scheduled to perform alongside Sheeran over the coming months jointly decided not to take the stage with him at all, leaving a grim outlook for the thousands of fans already holding tickets.
Artists walk out in solidarity
Danish band Lukas Graham was the first to join the protest, followed by Finneas, the brother and closest collaborator of Billie Eilish, Irish musician Aaron Rowe, and the folk group Beoga, known for having played on some of Sheeran's biggest number one hits. Each act published its own statement explaining that, as a matter of moral conviction, they no longer felt comfortable staying on a bill that had unilaterally excluded Macklemore.
Their messages were strikingly consistent. Finneas said artists should not be silenced when they raise their voices for the oppressed, and said he would hold that position regardless of professional commitments.
Beoga publicly condemned what the group called unjustified pressure on Macklemore, while Aaron Rowe said he could not stand by while large corporations used their power to silence voices.
Lukas Graham's message to Sheeran
Lukas Graham's frontman also joined the collective statement, trying to separate his affection for Sheeran from his disagreement with how the situation had been handled. He said he loved Ed and was deeply grateful for everything they had shared, but that he could not put those words out into the world and then carry on with the tour as if nothing had happened.
The statement reflected the difficulty many of the musicians said they felt in making the decision, as they weighed loyalty to Sheeran against their support for freedom of expression in the music industry over pressure from promoters.
Sheeran's response
Facing the wave of departures, Sheeran distanced himself from a decision he said was out of his hands. He said Macklemore's exit had been a decision made by the promoter and the venues, not by him, and that he had spent the whole week trying to build bridges, but that the position of those in charge was final.
Sheeran closed his statement by saying his approach had always been one of diplomacy and open dialogue, and that he deeply regretted the rift it had created with fellow musicians he continued to admire.
Ed Sheeran, 35, is one of Britain's best selling recording artists, known for albums including "Divide" and "Equals" and for writing several of his own chart-topping singles with the help of collaborators such as Beoga. Macklemore, the American rapper behind hits including "Thrift Shop" and "Same Love," has been outspoken on political and social issues throughout his career. Finneas, an Grammy-winning producer and musician, is best known for co-writing and producing his sister Billie Eilish's music.
It remains unclear whether the affected concerts will go ahead as planned or be cancelled, with the dispute between Sheeran, his team and the departing artists still unresolved.
