Ed Sheeran has been left without any remaining opening acts on his US tour after his scheduled support performers withdrew in protest over Macklemore’s removal from the lineup following a “free Palestine” speech.
Macklemore had been booked to support Sheeran at eight of the final 10 American dates on the tour, which resumes in Philadelphia on Friday. However, it was confirmed on Tuesday that the rapper would no longer appear.
The US artist had become the target of a petition calling for his removal after he made a political address backing Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank during performances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4 and 5.
In the fallout, Sheeran’s remaining support roster — Finneas, Billie Eilish’s brother and longtime collaborator; Sheeran’s friend Myles Smith; Aaron Rowe; Lukas Graham; and Beoga — has each announced separately that they will not perform their planned dates on the LOOP Tour.
In an Instagram post responding to his departure, Macklemore alleged that Sheeran told him Robert Kraft, the billionaire whose company owns Massachusetts’ Gillette Stadium, had driven the decision by “rallying stadium owners and issuing an ultimatum.” Sheeran is due to perform at the venue later this month.
Later on Tuesday, Sheeran, 35, released his own statement about the 43-year-old rapper’s exit. He said Macklemore’s remarks had upset owners of venues on the tour schedule, while stressing that he would never personally adopt a public political position.
Ed Sheeran’s support acts have withdrawn from his tour after Macklemore was removed from the shows following a “free Palestine” speech. Sheeran and Macklemore are pictured together in September 2014.
Finneas, musician and Billie Eilish’s brother and creative partner, was among the remaining acts to announce separately that they would not continue with their stadium LOOP Tour dates.
Finneas pictured in Los Angeles in November 2025.
Finneas wrote: “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.”
And Irish singer Rowe took a strong stance as he wrote: ‘Ed has been a friend to me and has changed my life. I could never thank him enough for this.
‘But as Irish people, we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation.’
The Hey Ma hitmaker continued by saying he ‘cannot stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up’.
The third support act who pulled out was the group Lukas Graham who wrote: ‘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.’
Lukas Graham said that their upbringing in a small Denmark community made it so speaking your mind was part of everyday life and having more money did not invalidate one’s opinions.
The group concluded by saying: ‘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.
‘I’m sorry we won’t be there. This is a difficult decision but it’s one I need to stand by.’
Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham, and Beoga also put out statements on Instagram Tuesday announcing that they are pulling out of the remaining concert dates
Irish singer Rowe took a strong stance (he is pictured in England in June 2025)
Lukas Graham said that their upbringing in a small Denmark community made it so speaking your mind was part of every day life and having more money did not invalidate one’s opinions
Danish soul pop band Lukas Graham is pictured
Lastly, Irish band Beoga, who actually join Sheeran during Galway Girl on stage, also revealed that they are removing themselves from the tour
Beoga is pictured as they revealed they have been friends with Sheeran for over a decade
Irish band Beoga, who actually join Sheeran during Galway Girl on stage, also revealed that they are removing themselves from the tour.
They wrote: ‘We have been friends with Ed for over 10 years now and will continue to be.
‘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.’
Beoga also showed their solidarity for Macklemore as they echoed his sentiments by writing: ‘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.’
Sheeran’s friend Myles Smith, who previously supported him on his 2025 tour, released a statement on Wednesday morning, telling fans: ‘For everyone asking me to drop out of Ed’s tour, let’s get something straight: I’m not on that tour anymore.’
Whilst Smith confirmed he had dropped out he went on to voice his support for Sheeran, insisting ‘Ed it not the victim here. Palestinians are. But let’s not get confused: Ed it also not the perpetrator.’
‘I need to be very clear about Ed. He is my friend. Not an industry friend. A real one. And there is no pressure, no trend, no headline and no comment section that will make me turn on him or hang him out to dry.’
‘Supporting Palestinian life, safety and freedom does not require me to betray someone I know to be a good human being. It requires me to keep the focus where it belongs: on the people suffering, and on the people with the power to stop it.’
Sheeran’s friend Myles Smith, who previously supported him on his 2025 tour, released a statement on Wednesday morning, telling fans he was no longer on the tour
Smith highlighted his background ‘working in a home with Holocaust survivors, spending time with the Jewish community and hearing stories of bravery, survival, loss and humanity from people who had lived through things most of us only read about.
‘I’ve also spent my life around Muslim friends and families, spend time in mosques, celebrated Eid throughout my youth and grown up in Luton: a working-class, proudly multicultural, predominantly ethnic minority town where Island and Muslim culture were part of the beauty and fabric of everyday life.’
‘Neither of those experiences taught me to sit on the fence. They taught me to be human.’
He ended his lengthy statement by saying: ‘My career has been my dream since I was a little boy, and I know I’m still on that journey. But if it means risking parts of that dream to bring awareness, compassion and rationale to this subject, then so be it.
‘I cannot live in a world where children are not even allowed to have dreams because of the terrifying world they were born into.’
Daily Mail has reached out to Sheeran’s representatives for comment on the acts resigning from the tour and has yet to hear back.
It remains uncertain how the LOOP Tour will proceed with zero openers scheduled and 18 dates still set through the end of the year.
Sheeran broke his silence on Macklemore on Tuesday. The singer, who is a father of two, said that his audience is often young people ‘from different backgrounds’, who do not expect his shows to be a political forum.
Sheeran assured his followers that Macklemore’s removal would not affect his tour, as he told them ‘I would never let down the fans who had made plans’.
In his reaction, which came two days after Macklemore’s own statement, he said: ‘I am appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
‘The suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy. There are too many wars across the world causing immeasurable pain, none of which should be tolerated.
‘Macklemore asked to join my tour last year and I agreed, because I respect him as an artist. As with all my support acts, I agree that they play a setlist of their choosing.
‘After Macklemore’s performances at my New Jersey shows, venues on my upcoming tour dates communicated that they would pull the shows if he was still supporting.’
Sheeran continued by explaining that he had tried to find a resolution so that Macklemore could remain on his tour but he was not able to.
He said: ‘I was informed that this stance was based on how Macklemore conveyed part of his message during his performance, rather than on everything that was said. I spoke with the venues at length all week to try and build a bridge.
‘One of those people was Robert Kraft. I was also involved in direct talks with promoters along with activists on both sides to try and find a mutual resolution for all, but the venue’s and promoter’s decision was final.
Sheeran released a statement on Tuesday, addressing the American star’s position and reminding fans he will never personally take a publicly political stance
‘Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine. Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me.’
Sheeran then explained that there would be no alterations to the tour he has planned because he would never let his fans and crew down.
He said: ‘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.
‘I have always used my platform and music to bring people from all backgrounds and cultures together and this won’t ever change. 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.
‘I am not complicit. 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.
‘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. 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. I have spent this week trying to build bridges, to find a solution and unfortunately, was unable to do so. I know who I am, both as a person and as an artist, and those who know my heart know my values too.’
Sheeran captioned his post: ‘It’s important I set out some facts’.
Macklemore claimed that his long-term friend Sheeran had told him that Kraft personally called the singer to inform him that the rapper would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium
In a statement on Instagram, Macklemore claimed that his long-term friend Sheeran had told him that Robert Kraft personally called the singer to inform him that the rapper would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts.
Kraft is the billionaire CEO of the Kraft Group, which owns the Gillette stadium along with NFL team the New England Patriots.
He wrote that ‘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.’
In his 1,000 word statement the rapper went on to say that he did not blame Sheeran personally, writing that his friend was put in a ‘f***ed up position’.
‘He told me that the words “Free Palestine” and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with,’ Macklemore continued.
‘I told him that if those words were more offensive than tens of thousands of Palestinian children being killed by Israel, then there was a fundamental disconnect between where those people stood and where I stood. But he couldn’t get past his public facing, “I don’t take sides.” And I get why people don’t.’
‘Taking a side can cost you,’ Macklemore added. ‘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 noted that the pair had had ‘some difficult conversations this past week’ and he hoped that ‘this isn’t the end of my relationship with Ed. Thirteen years of friendship doesn’t disappear because of one painful disagreement.’
Kraft has defended his decision to block Macklemore from performing, saying the rapper ‘crossed a line’.
‘Gillette Stadium has a longstanding commitment to providing a welcoming environment for all guests and ensuring that events held at our venue do not provide a platform for hate speech,’ Kraft said in a statement.
‘Based on Macklemore’s recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran’s shows in New Jersey, and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community, we determined that his participation in the September 25 and 26 concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line.’
The promoter for the American side of Sheeran’s LOOP Tour, Messina Touring Group, said in a statement that they were told by venues of future dates on the tour that ‘they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup’.
‘Which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans,” a spokesperson continued to Rolling Stone. ‘After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates.’
As seen in fan-taken footage from his September 5 performance in New Jersey, Macklemore wore a keffiyeh at one point during his set and also performed his 2024 song Hind’s Hall with footage of Gaza on the massive screen behind him.
In the lyrics for Hind’s Hall the rapper criticises actions in Gaza. Proceeds from the song go toward humanitarian efforts from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
The full video from the performance shows Macklemore standing on stage and addressing the crowd.
Pink reposted an Instagram Story from StopAntisemitism, which slammed Macklemore’s performance and demanded an apology to the concertgoers
‘One of the reasons why I wanted to come on this tour was because I wanted to stand up here on stages in stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine. I said, Free Palestine!’ he told the attendees.
‘I want those words to be loud and clear so that people from Gaza, all the way to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten them.’
He then introduced Hind’s Hall, stating that it ‘was inspired by the bravery of Columbia University students who led an encampment movement that mobilized the entire world. Opened up hearts, myself included.’
‘So thank you to those students that risked their diplomas, that risked their tuition, that risked their scholarships, that stood up and said, “No.” CUAD students, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voice for Peace. Thank you guys.’
He addressed the Jewish community, stating: ‘To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you.’
‘My message is for peace. Love. For all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality. So I say free Palestine. I say free Lebanon. I say free Cuba. I say free Congo, free Sudan, free all people in America living in fear over this terrorist organization ICE. None of us will be free until we are all free.’
Macklemore went on to post a video of his speech on social media with the caption: ‘Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial’.
The singer Pink weighed in on the controversy, reposting an Instagram Story from StopAntisemitism, which slammed Macklemore’s performance.
The caption on the post read: ‘Awful – Jewish fans bought tickets to see Ed Sheeran sing last night in NJ, not to be ambushed by Macklemore’s anti-Israel propaganda.
‘Instead, Macklemore walked onstage in a keffiyeh, shouted “Free Palestine,” accused Israel of a false “genocide,” and turned a mainstream event into a political nightmare against the Jewish state. Concert-goers are owed apologies and refunds.’
In response, Macklemore appeared to double down on his comments last week, as he posted a clip of his speech from MetLife Stadium with the caption: ‘Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial’.
Pink did not add any additional commentary aside from re-sharing the post.
In 2014, Macklemore issued an apology after wearing a disguise on stage in Seattle that many condemned as an anti-Semitic Jewish caricature.
In his apology after the Jewish caricature controversy, he said: ‘There is no worse feeling than being misunderstood, especially when people are hurt or offended… I respect all cultures and all people.
‘I would never intentionally put down anybody for the fabric that makes them who they are. I love human beings, love originality, and… happen to love a weird outfit from time to time.’
Macklemore added that he never thought he looked Jewish. ‘Some people there thought I looked like Ringo, some Abe Lincoln. If anything, I thought I looked like Humpty Hump with a bowl cut,’ he said.
Macklemore’s statement in full
I’m not sure how to start this. So I’m going to speak from the heart and share the truth.
Ed Sheeran and his team have made the decision to remove me from The Loop tour.
But before I get into it, I want to say something that should be obvious. In this moment I think it matters. I am not a victim. Ed Sheeran is not a victim. Pink is not a victim. 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. The men, women and children who have been killed, starved, displaced and forced to live through unimaginable violence.
More than 20,000 children have been killed in Gaza alone. People are being killed today, and people will be killed tomorrow. I want to make sure that as I tell this story, we don’t lose sight of that.
Ed is my friend. I’ve known him for 13 years. We’ve shared late nights, studio sessions and stages. He has this infectious magic about him that I’ve grown to love. I consider him a brother. And because of that, we’ve had some difficult conversations this past week.
The type of talks rooted in love and respect for one another that still end in a place of fundamental disagreement. Nothing I’m writing here is out of spite or because I want to tear down his character. But as I told Ed multiple times on the phone, our friendship can’t change my responsibility to tell the truth about what happened.
Last Monday, in the middle of all the media attention surrounding Pink and what I said at MetLife, Ed told me that Robert Kraft called him.
We were scheduled to play Gillette Stadium later this month, which is owned by the Kraft Group. Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium.
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.
Ed was in a f**ked up position. He knew it. His typical apolitical stance was being challenged in a way it never had been before. He told me that the words “Free Palestine” and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with.
I told him that if those words were more offensive than tens of thousands of Palestinian children being killed by Israel, then there was a fundamental disconnect between where those people stood and where I stood. But he couldn’t get past his public facing, “I don’t take sides.”
And I get why people don’t. 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.
When one side has the bombs and bottomless financial and military support from America, refusing to take a side doesn’t leave you in the middle.
What I said at MetLife I have been saying on stages around the world for almost three years. So why is it an issue now?
Because now I’m sharing a stage with one of the biggest artists in the world, in some of the biggest stadiums in America.
At a certain level of exposure, “Free Palestine” becomes too much of a risk. If I kept doing the shows, saying Free Palestine, with Ed implicitly supporting it, the crowd getting loud and showing undeniable support for Palestinian liberation, what artist might speak out next? The stage becomes resistance. Maybe that’s why this time it became so important to silence me.
And one of the most effective ways to enforce that silence has been to weaponize the accusation of antisemitism. Antisemitism is real. And that is exactly why the word matters too much to be used as a shield against criticism of the Israeli state.
When criticizing Israel, opposing Zionism or saying “Free Palestine” gets conflated with hatred of Jewish people, it doesn’t protect Jewish people. It protects Israel from accountability.
I hope this isn’t the end of my relationship with Ed. Thirteen years of friendship doesn’t disappear because of one painful disagreement. I hope we both continue listening, studying what is happening in Palestine and wrestling with what neutrality means in a moment like this. My door will always be open to continuing that conversation.
When my brother Omar was doing the subtitles for the video I posted from MetLife, I thanked him. He told me there’s a phrase in Arabic: لا شكر على واجب
“La shukra ala wajeb.” There is no thanks for a duty.
That stayed with me. Because that’s what this has become for me and millions of others around the world. A duty. Not something deserving of praise or gratitude. Not brave. Human.
Who is winning the internet, who is getting canceled, who gets to play the stadium and who doesn’t, all of it becomes so small when held against what we are actually witnessing in Gaza and the West Bank.
An entire people being displaced, starved and killed while the world debates which words we are allowed to use to describe it, how those words make us feel, and whether our discomfort matters more than the people living through a genocide.
I didn’t need 10 shows from Ed. I needed 2. Two chances to stand in front of 90,000 people and say the words that somehow became too dangerous to say.
Free Palestine.
But if those words cost me the stage, while turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I’ve ever been on.
