Following the removal of Macklemore from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour over his outspoken support for Palestine, all four of the tour’s remaining supporting acts have now publicly withdrawn in solidarity.
Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham and Sheeran’s longtime backing band Beoga each announced their departures through statements posted to Instagram on September 15, turning what began as a dispute over one opening act into a much wider fallout around the tour. Macklemore was dropped after several venues reportedly said they would not host upcoming shows if he remained on the lineup, following his “Free Palestine” remarks during two September 4 and 5 shows at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, where he also performed his protest track “Hind’s Hall.”
Finneas was the first to announce his exit, writing that “artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed” and that he stands “with Palestine and its people.” Irish singer Aaron Rowe followed, saying he could not stand by while billionaires use their influence to silence artists speaking about what he described as Israeli genocide and the killing of children. Beoga, who have performed as Sheeran’s touring band for more than a decade, also withdrew from the US dates, saying that playing stadiums of that scale may have been a dream, but performing in venues that silence advocacy for a free Palestine was not an option for them. Lukas Graham rounded out the departures, writing that “money doesn’t give you the right to own the conversation” and that artists should be able to speak about war, civilian deaths and children regardless of where they live.
The exits came just hours after Sheeran posted a lengthy statement of his own on Instagram, insisting that Macklemore’s removal “was the promoter’s decision” and not his. Sheeran said he had spent the week trying to find a solution after venues threatened to pull their shows, while also stressing that he chooses not to use his professional platform for politics. He described himself as “appalled” by the suffering in Israel and Palestine and said that remaining publicly silent on the conflict does not mean he does not care. For now, though, that stance has left the Loop Tour without any of its previously announced supporting acts, while the conversation around who gets to speak about Palestine and who gets to decide when they do continues to grow.
