Ed Sheeran’s band, support acts quit tour after Macklemore dropped over Palestine comments
Ed Sheeran’s house band and three supporting acts have withdrawn from his U.S. tour after Macklemore was removed following comments supporting Palestine at concerts in New Jersey. The departing musicians said they opposed efforts to silence artists who speak out for Palestinians.
Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga, which performs as Sheeran’s band, announced their withdrawals in social media statements. Their departures follow a dispute over Macklemore’s performances at MetLife Stadium and demands from venues that he be taken off the Loop Tour.
“Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” Finneas said. “I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people.”
Beoga said its members had attended Macklemore’s performance and supported his message. The Irish band said it was leaving the remaining U.S. dates, describing his removal as “the silencing of Macklemore by zionist lobbies.”
“As musicians, 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,” the band said.
“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,” Aaron Rowe said in a statement. “I would lose all respect for myself to carry on as normal.”
“Nobody’s bank balance should decide who gets to speak or which suffering we’re allowed to acknowledge,” artist Lukas Graham said in another statement. “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. We’re withdrawing from the remaining dates.”
Macklemore said on Monday that Sheeran and his team had decided to remove him. He said Sheeran told him Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium, had barred him from performing there and rallied other stadium owners to threaten to cancel Sheeran’s concerts if he remained on the lineup.
Sheeran confirmed that venues had threatened to pull shows and that he had spoken with Kraft, but disputed responsibility for Macklemore’s removal.
“Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine,” Sheeran said. “Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me.”
Kraft said in a statement on Monday that Macklemore would not be allowed to participate in the September 25 and 26 concerts at Gillette Stadium. He cited material from the New Jersey shows and what he described as “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery.”
“This decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf,” Kraft said, arguing that Macklemore’s message ignored Hamas’ responsibility for suffering. He offered to meet with the rapper.
Macklemore rejected the use of antisemitism accusations against advocacy for Palestinians.
“When criticizing Israel, opposing Zionism or saying ‘Free Palestine’ gets conflated with hatred of Jewish people, it doesn’t protect Jewish people,” he said. “It protects Israel from accountability.”
Sheeran said he spent the week speaking with venues, promoters and activists to seek a resolution, but the decision was final. He said he would not abandon fans, touring crew or other musicians who depended on the shows for work, and defended his choice to keep politics off his professional platform.
Macklemore said he hoped their 13-year friendship would continue, but that it could not change his responsibility to describe what happened.
“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,” Macklemore said. “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,” he added.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
