Ed Sheeran Tour Hit by Wave of Withdrawals After Macklemore Palestine Row

Ed Sheeran’s upcoming North and South American tour has been thrown into turmoil after all four of his remaining supporting acts pulled out in solidarity with rapper Macklemore, whose removal from the tour over pro Palestinian comments has sparked a wider dispute over free speech and political expression in music.

Irish artists Aaron Rowe and Beoga, Danish band Lukas Graham and singer-songwriter Finneas all announced their withdrawals after Macklemore was dropped from the remaining US dates of Sheeran’s Loop Tour. Some had been brought in to replace Macklemore, while Beoga had been performing alongside Sheeran as part of his live band.

The controversy began after Macklemore spoke about Palestine during performances at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium earlier this month. He told audiences that people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank had not been forgotten and called for a “Free Palestine”. He also performed Hind’s Hall, his protest song about pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

The comments reportedly triggered objections from some venues scheduled to host Sheeran’s tour. Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium and a prominent supporter of Israel, was among those who opposed Macklemore appearing at the venue. The US tour promoter, Messina Touring Group, subsequently confirmed that Macklemore had been removed from the remaining dates.

Sheeran has since insisted that removing Macklemore was not his decision. In a lengthy statement, the singer said he had spoken with venue owners and promoters in an attempt to find a compromise, but the final decision was made by the promoter and venues. Sheeran also said he has personal views about the Israel-Palestine conflict but has chosen not to express them publicly, arguing that his concerts should remain a place where people from different backgrounds can come together.

That explanation has not stopped the fallout. Finneas said artists should not be silenced when speaking about people they believe are being oppressed, while Rowe and Beoga referred to Ireland’s historical experience of colonialism and occupation in explaining their decisions to leave the tour. Lukas Graham also said financial power should not determine who is allowed to speak about suffering.

The withdrawals leave Sheeran facing a major change to the planned support lineup just days before the North American leg is due to begin in Philadelphia on September 19. The tour is scheduled to continue across the United States before moving to South America later in the year.

The dispute has now become bigger than one artist being removed from a concert. It has opened a wider debate about whether musicians should be able to make political statements on stage, whether venues and promoters should have the power to restrict those statements, and where the line lies between keeping concerts politically neutral and allowing artists freedom of expression.

For Sheeran, the immediate challenge is keeping the tour running while managing a controversy he says he did not create. For the artists who have withdrawn, the decision represents a stand over what they describe as the right to speak about issues they consider important. With the tour approaching its opening date, the row is unlikely to disappear from the headlines anytime soon.