Several artists have walked away from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour after Macklemore was removed from the U.S. dates following the rapper’s public support for Palestinians. The dispute over one opening act has since escalated into a full-blown debate and controversy over artists’ freedom to speak about the war in Gaza. Now, it appears Ed Sheeran’s next concert for the tour, which is set to take place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is facing trouble.
At the time of writing, Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Beoga (Sheeran’s own band), and Danish pop group Lukas Graham all announced on Tuesday that they were withdrawing from upcoming tour dates in solidarity with Macklemore. Beoga, which also serves as Sheeran’s backing band, said it was leaving after what it described as the “silencing of Macklemore by zionist lobbies.”
Finneas, who has previously spoken publicly in support of Palestinians, said artists should not be silenced when speaking for oppressed people. Rowe similarly cited Ireland’s history with colonialism, famine and occupation when explaining his departure.
Lukas Graham frontman Lukas Forchhammer delivered one of the most pointed statements, writing that artists should be able to discuss war, civilian deaths, and children regardless of nationality. “Money doesn’t give you the right to own the conversation,” he wrote. The phrase quickly became a focal point for online supporters of the withdrawals.
Following in Macklemore’s footsteps
The departures came after Macklemore spoke about Palestine during two performances at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium earlier this month. He told the audience that people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank had not been forgotten and shouted, “Free Palestine.”
Sheeran subsequently said the decision to remove Macklemore was made by tour promoter Messina Touring Group rather than himself. He said several venues had indicated they would pull the concerts if Macklemore remained part of the lineup. “I am not complicit,” Sheeran wrote, saying he has personal views about the conflict but does not believe audiences attend his concerts expecting a political forum. He also said he respected Macklemore’s “strength of purpose.”
Social media reactions largely celebrated the artists’ decisions. One commenter wrote, “credit to every single artist showing solidarity to Palestine and Macklemore,” while another said, “This is going to ruin the tour.” Others focused on what the artists were giving up and praised them. “All these people are small artists and this is a huge career changing opportunity they are giving up,” one commenter wrote.
For now, Sheeran’s tour is continuing, but the withdrawals have transformed Macklemore’s removal into a fierce debate over money and whether musicians should be able to use major concert stages to speak about political issues or simply deliver anti-war messages.
