Multiple artists quit Ed Sheeran tour after Macklemore is dropped over pro-Palestine remarks

Ed Sheeran’s tour has lost every remaining support act after Macklemore was removed from the lineup, according to CBS. Finneas and Aaron Rowe joined Lukas Graham and Beoga in announcing their exits on Instagram within hours of Sheeran explaining the decision. The fallout has turned into a broader fight over who controls what artists can say on stadium stages.

Macklemore opened for Sheeran on back-to-back nights at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium earlier this month. He told the crowd “Free Palestine” and performed his 2024 protest song “Hind’s Hall” as images from Gaza played on the stadium screens. The title references the Columbia University building that protesters renamed for Hind Rajab, a Palestinian child killed in Gaza.

The Israeli-American Council launched a petition calling for his removal from Ed Sheeran’s tour, accusing him of pushing a one-sided political agenda. During the second show, Macklemore told Jewish fans that criticizing Israel and opposing genocide was not a criticism of them.

Sheeran insists the promoter made the call to drop Macklemore

Macklemore coming off tour “was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine,” Ed Sheeran wrote on Instagram. He said he spoke with the venues all week to build a bridge, but their decision and the promoter’s were final. Messina Touring Group dropped the rapper fromSheeran’s tour as venues said they would not allow concerts with him on the lineup.

Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, confirmed he barred Macklemore from the stadium. Kraft cited the rapper’s recent actions and what he called a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery. He appeared to refer to a 2014 performance in which Macklemore wore a prosthetic nose, dark wig, and beard. Actor Seth Rogen was among those who said the costume resembled an antisemitic caricature.

Macklemore apologized at the time and said he did not intend to invoke a stereotype, while continuing to reject claims that his criticism of Israel is antisemitic. That distinction has become increasingly contentious as criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza spreads beyond activists and musicians. California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently compared Israel’s treatment of Palestinians to apartheid, weeks after stopping short of describing the bombardment of Gaza as genocide.

Sheeran said he wants his concerts to be a place of safety and sanctuary. He said he has personal views on the conflict but does not share them publicly, as fans do not expect a political forum. He also said he would never abandon the touring crew and musicians who rely on the shows to make a living.

Irish folk band Beoga had been performing a mini set with Sheeran midway through each show. Beoga said it would not play venues that silence Palestine advocates. However, it noted its decade-long friendship with Sheeran. Finneas, who was due to open South American dates on Ed Sheeran’s tour later this year, said artists must not be silenced for speaking up for the oppressed.

Rowe and Lukas Graham had been set to replace Macklemore on the remaining U.S. dates of Ed Sheeran’s tour. Rowe pointed to Ireland’s own history of genocide, famine, and occupation, while Lukas Graham argued that wealth should not decide who gets to speak or which suffering can be acknowledged.

Of the stadiums that allegedly told the tour they would not host Macklemore, only Gillette Stadium and Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium are privately owned. Several of the other venues are owned or operated by cities, states, or other government entities, which could raise First Amendment questions if Macklemore was barred specifically because of his political statements.

Ed Sheeran’s tour is scheduled to resume Saturday in Philadelphia, ahead of two shows at Kraft’s Gillette Stadium later this month.