Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour is now without a single opening act. Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and Sheeran’s touring band Beoga all announced Tuesday that they were quitting the tour in solidarity with rapper Macklemore, who was removed from the lineup after making pro-Palestinian remarks onstage earlier this month.
How It Started: Macklemore’s MetLife Stadium Comments
While opening for Sheeran at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on September 4, Macklemore told the crowd he’d joined the tour in part to be able to say “two words that are very near and dear to my heart: free Palestine.” He went on to say that “every single human being that walks this earth deserves” to “know safety and peace before they know the sound of violence, to know the sound of laughter on a playground before planes and bombs, for parents to be able to say bye to their kids in the morning and not have to wonder if this is going to be the last time they kiss their child goodbye.”
At a follow-up show at the same venue, Macklemore added that his “criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid [and] being against genocide in no way is a criticism” of Jewish people.
Macklemore has a long history of speaking out on political and social issues. In 2024, he released “Hind’s Hall,” a song paying tribute to Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl whose death drew widespread international attention.
Macklemore’s Removal and Robert Kraft’s Role
On Monday, Macklemore announced he was being pulled from the tour, pointing to Robert Kraft — owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium — as the driving force behind the decision. According to Macklemore, Kraft told Sheeran he wouldn’t be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium, and then rallied other venue owners to issue an ultimatum: drop Macklemore from the tour entirely, or lose access to their stadiums.
“Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues,” Macklemore said.
Kraft, who founded the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism in 2019, said his decision was rooted in “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery” tied to Macklemore’s past performances — including a 2014 incident in which the rapper wore a fake hooked nose, black wig, and beard onstage, which drew criticism at the time. In a statement, Kraft said Gillette Stadium would “not provide a platform for hate speech.”
Macklemore pushed back on the idea that his comments targeted Jewish people. “I am not a victim. Ed Sheeran is not a victim. Pink is not a victim,” he said. “We have careers, money, opportunities, safety and audiences around the world. Whatever consequences any of us face for what we say, we get to go home to our families. The victims are the Palestinian people.”
Sheeran Says the Decision Wasn’t His
Sheeran addressed the situation directly in a lengthy Instagram post Tuesday, denying he was behind Macklemore’s removal.
“Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision; it was not mine,” Sheeran wrote, adding that the rapper’s contract had been ended by tour promoter Messina Touring Group. He said he’d spent the week in talks with venues — including a direct conversation with Kraft — trying “to build a bridge,” but that “the venue’s and promoter’s decision was final.”
Sheeran also defended his long-standing choice to steer clear of politics onstage.
“I have always used my platform and music to bring people from all backgrounds and cultures together and this won’t ever change,” he wrote. “Those who have been to one of my shows will know that they are about unity, joy, escapism, love, and a place for everyone to feel welcome. There is a reason I do not use my professional platform for politics — my audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds. Those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum. I respect Macklemore’s strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes. However, there is room for multiple approaches to the same end: peace.”
Sheeran added that he was “not complicit” in the decision: “I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn’t mean I don’t care.”
For his part, Macklemore said this week that the situation put Sheeran “in a f—ed up position,” noting that the singer’s “typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it had never been before,” and that Sheeran “couldn’t get past his public facing ‘I don’t take sides.'”
Why the Opening Acts Walked Away
Once Macklemore was out, the rest of the tour’s supporting lineup followed within a day, each citing solidarity with him and with Palestinians.
Finneas, the producer and artist best known for his work with his sister Billie Eilish, wrote on Instagram: “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.”
Aaron Rowe, an Irish singer-songwriter, tied his decision to Ireland’s own history: “As Irish people, we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation. I cannot stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up against Israeli genocide and who highlight the savage murder of children. I would lose all respect for myself to carry on as normal. I need to be true to myself and my ancestors who resisted colonization, and fought for a freedom that I enjoy today in Ireland.”
Lukas Graham, the Danish pop band, offered a more measured statement: “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.”
Beoga, the traditional Irish band serving as Sheeran’s backing group for part of his set, announced their exit as well, writing: “We have made the decision to depart as Ed Sheeran’s band on the remaining U.S. Loop tour following the silencing of Macklemore by zionist lobbies.” The group added that they’d been friends with Sheeran for a decade and would remain so, but said, “we are Irish people who understand colonialism… As founding members of the Irish Artists for Palestine movement, we are committed activists for justice and will continue to be.”
What This Means for the Rest of the Tour
Macklemore had been scheduled to open eight of the ten remaining U.S. shows before he was removed from the lineup. Aaron Rowe and Lukas Graham had actually been brought in as his replacements for those remaining U.S. dates, while Beoga had been performing several songs mid-set with Sheeran — including some the Irish folk band had co-written — rather than opening the show themselves. Finneas, for his part, was booked to join Sheeran’s South American leg later this year, not just the U.S. shows. That means Tuesday’s exodus didn’t just cost Sheeran his openers — it wiped out both his original lineup and the backup plan in one stroke, and now extends beyond the U.S. dates to shows still months away.
Sheeran also addressed the impact on his crew directly, saying he wouldn’t let down fans who’d made plans, and that he had no intention of abandoning the touring crew and other support acts and musicians who depend on the tour for work. As of the most recent reporting, Sheeran has not announced replacement acts for the vacated slots, and it remains unclear how the tour will proceed without any supporting performers just days before it’s set to resume.
The fallout has been widely described as plunging Sheeran’s tour of North and South America into chaos. Kraft’s representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the other artists’ decisions to leave.
