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Ed Sheeran tour loses every support act after Macklemore’s removal
Ed Sheeran says promoters, facing venue threats, removed Macklemore after his pro-Palestinian statements. The decision prompted all remaining support acts to withdraw, while debate widened over artist speech and whether concerts should remain political-free spaces.
Ed Sheeran’s attempt to keep his stadium tour moving after Macklemore’s removal has instead turned into a broader dispute over who gets to set the limits of political speech onstage. All of the remaining support acts — Aaron Rowe, Beoga, Lukas Graham and Finneas — have withdrawn in solidarity with the rapper.
Macklemore was removed after using appearances at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium to voice support for Palestinians and perform Hind’s Hall. Sheeran said the decision belonged to promoter Messina Touring Group, after venues warned they could cancel shows; he said he had tried to find a resolution but that the decision was final. “I am not complicit,” Sheeran wrote, arguing that his concerts include young people from varied backgrounds who do not expect “a political forum.”1
The artists who quit see the episode differently. Finneas said, “Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” while Lukas Graham argued that “Nobody’s bank balance should decide who gets to speak or which suffering we’re allowed to acknowledge.”2 Rowe and Beoga also linked their decisions to support for Palestinians and said they could not continue at venues they believed had curtailed that advocacy.
The dispute has produced sharply divided reactions. Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, said Macklemore would not perform there, citing what he described as the rapper’s recent actions and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric; he did not address Macklemore’s claim that other venue owners coordinated pressure on the tour.3 Online responses have been similarly polarised, including a post from Tommy Robinson supporting Sheeran that used hostile language about Palestine.
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Critics say Sheeran had enough influence to resist the venues’ demands, while others regard his concern for fans and touring staff as legitimate. UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy called his situation “really difficult and impossible,” while also saying there is a “long and very proud history” of artists commenting on politics.5 Her view captures the tension at the centre of the walkout: concerts can be both platforms for conscience and spaces where audiences hope to leave public conflict behind.