All remaining support acts on Ed Sheeran’s US tour have withdrawn following the removal of rapper Macklemore over pro-Palestinian comments he made during two concerts.
Finneas, the musician and producer who is also Billie Eilish’s brother, was among those to leave the tour. In a statement, he said: “Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed.”
Irish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe, Danish group Lukas Graham and Irish folk band Beoga have also pulled out. Beoga had been joining Sheeran on stage each night.
Their decisions were announced shortly after Sheeran said he would not enter a public debate about Gaza and emphasised that he had not personally removed Macklemore from the tour.
“Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine,” Sheeran wrote on Instagram.
“I would never let down the fans who had made plans, nor would I abandon the touring crew and the other support acts and musicians who rely on me for work and to make a living.”
The dispute began after Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, called for a “free Palestine” and displayed footage of destruction in Gaza during two concerts at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
His remarks were criticised by several Jewish organisations, and some venues subsequently pressured the tour’s promoters to remove him from the line-up.
Sheeran said he had spoken with the venues “at length all week to try and build a bridge”. However, Messina Touring Group ultimately decided that Macklemore would no longer take part.
The English singer described himself as “appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine”, adding that the “suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy”. He also defended his decision not to use his performances as a platform for political discussion.
“I am not complicit,” he wrote. “I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn’t mean I don’t have them, and it doesn’t mean I don’t care.”
“Nor does it mean I don’t support causes in my own, personal way.”
Sheeran said his audiences included children and young people from a wide range of 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.”
“I choose to use my fame and platform to be a place of safety and sanctuary, to maintain diplomacy and keep conversations open, not closed. If we only focus on shouting the loudest, nothing will ever change. There are different approaches to being an advocate for change.”
He added that Macklemore, like every support act on the tour, had been free to select his own setlist.
The statement failed to prevent further departures from the tour. Lukas Graham defended artists’ right to address wars and civilian suffering publicly.
“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 said.
Rowe, who supported Sheeran during the Australian leg of the tour before returning for the US dates in June, said he did not “take the decision [to quit] lightly”.
“Ed has been a friend to me and has changed my life, I could never thank him enough for this,” he added.
Beoga said performing before such large audiences had been a dream but that the group could not continue under the circumstances.
“As musicians, playing to those crowds every night is the stuff of dreams but to play in venues that silence anyone advocating for a Free Palestine is simply not an option for us,” the band said.
The controversy originated at Sheeran’s MetLife Stadium concert on September 4, when Macklemore told the crowd: “A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so that I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very, very dear to my heart: Free Palestine.”
He then performed “Hind’s Hall,” a song dedicated to pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Columbia University that condemns Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Images showing destruction in the territory were displayed on the stadium’s screens.
Although parts of the crowd cheered, the performance quickly attracted criticism. The Israeli American Council launched a petition calling for Macklemore’s removal, while StopAntisemitism accused him of confronting concertgoers with propaganda. Singer Pink later shared the organisation’s claim on Instagram.
Returning to the venue the following evening, Macklemore directly addressed his “Jewish brothers and sisters” in the audience.
“Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, is in no way a criticism of you,” he said. He added that he wanted Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank to know they had not been forgotten.
Israel denies accusations of genocide and maintains that its operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank are conducted in self-defence and in accordance with international law.
The war began after the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. More than 73,780 people have since been killed during Israel’s campaign in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures are regarded as reliable by the United Nations.
Macklemore announced on Monday that he had been removed from Sheeran’s tour. He alleged that the campaign against him had been organised by Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts.
Kraft, who previously hired Sheeran to perform at his wedding, confirmed that he had barred Macklemore from appearing at the venue. He said Gillette Stadium would not “provide a platform for hate speech” and accused the rapper of having “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric”.
“I agree with Macklemore, too many lives have been lost and there has been too much suffering, but only sharing selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas is not honest and only advances more divisiveness and hate,” Kraft said.
He did not respond to Macklemore’s allegation that he had encouraged other venues to pressure the tour’s promoters.
Messina Touring Group told Rolling Stone that venues had indicated they would not permit Macklemore to perform, potentially forcing the cancellation of the tour and affecting hundreds of thousands of ticket holders.
Several artists said Kraft’s role contributed to their decision to withdraw.
“Money doesn’t give you the right to own the conversation,” Lukas Graham said.
“Nobody’s bank balance should decide who gets to speak or which suffering we’re allowed to acknowledge.”
Macklemore expressed sympathy for the position Sheeran had been placed in but criticised him for declining to take a public stance.
“Taking a side can cost you. Money, brand deals, sponsorships, festivals, private shows, relationships and access. I’ve lost all of those things. But there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed,” he wrote.
Despite completing only two dates, Macklemore said that if his appearances had succeeded in “turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I’ve ever been on.”
