All four supporting acts for upcoming dates of Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour have withdrawn in solidarity with fellow opening act Macklemore, as backlash grows against his removal from the tour over onstage comments in support of Palestine. Finneas, the singer who was scheduled to open for Sheeran on six South American dates in November, withdrew from the tour on Tuesday afternoon, hours after Sheeran posted his own lengthy statement to Instagram explaining pressure from venue owners to remove Macklemore for pro-Palestine comments made during two shows at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. In a two-minute speech on 4 September, the Grammy-winning artist told the audience he wanted the people of Gaza and “the occupied West Bank” to know “we have not forgotten about them”, along with the words “free Palestine”.
The remark prompted a petition calling for Macklemore’s removal from the tour from the Israeli American Council and the opposition of some venue owners – including Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots and a prominent donor to Israel. I stand with Palestine and its people.” The decision came shortly after Aaron Rowe, an Irish singer who opened for Sheeran in Australia earlier this year and was scheduled for the 10 remaining dates in North America, announced his own withdrawal from the tour. 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.” The Irish band Beoga, which performs as Sheeran’s backing band, announced after Rowe that they would also depart the US tour to protest the “silencing of Macklemore by zionist lobbies”. We believe in dialogue as a means of progressing the plight of the Palestinian people.” The Danish pop band Lukas Graham also dropped out of the tour on Tuesday afternoon. Whatever flag flies over them,” wrote lead singer Lukas Forchhammer on the band’s social media.
Nobody’s bank balance should decide who gets to speak or which suffering we’re allowed to acknowledge.” The abrupt withdrawals of Sheeran’s opening acts came hours after the English singer confirmed that Kraft, along with several other stadium owners, refused to allow the tour to play at their venues if Macklemore continued to open for him. Though Sheeran wrote that he was “appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine” and “the suffering and pain caused on both sides”, he said that attempts to broker conversations among parties had been unsuccessful and the “venue’s and the promoter’s decision was final”. Instead he caved to people who refuse to accept what the world knows.
A genocide is happening in Gaza. We all need to speak on it.” Kehlani, the singer whose pro-Palestine activism led to the cancellation of a concert at Cornell University last year, commented on social media in support of Macklemore: “A LOT of the venues / owners are rallied together this way. honored to know you brother.” In his own statement on Monday, Kraft did not deny refusing to allow Macklemore on stage at his Gillette Stadium outside Boston, and said the decision was based on both Macklemore’s “recent actions” and “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community”.
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