Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour has descended into a public rift, with four support acts pulling out in protest after rapper Macklemore was removed from the remaining North American dates. The fallout began after Macklemore said "Free Palestine!" onstage while introducing his protest song "Hind's Hall" at the 5 September show at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Macklemore said on Instagram that several US venues told the promoter he would be barred from performing, and pointed to billionaire Robert Kraft — owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium — as a driving force behind the removal. Kraft defended the move, citing Macklemore's "recent comments and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery" that he said had been offensive to the Jewish community. Kraft's representatives did not respond to follow-up requests for comment.
Sheeran distanced himself from the decision, writing that "Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter's decision, it was not mine" and that he had spent the week trying to build a bridge with venues, but their call was final. He said he prefers to keep his concerts apolitical and added, "I am not complicit."
That explanation did not hold the lineup together. Irish acts Aaron Rowe and Beoga, Denmark's Lukas Graham, and Finneas — Billie Eilish's brother and collaborator — all announced on Instagram that they were leaving the tour. Rowe and Lukas Graham had been slated to fill Macklemore's slot on the remaining US dates; Beoga had been performing mid-set songs with Sheeran, several of which the band co-wrote. Finneas was due to join the South American leg later this year. "Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed," Finneas wrote. Rowe and Beoga both invoked Ireland's colonial history, while Lukas Graham called it "a difficult decision" but argued that "nobody's bank balance should decide who gets to speak."
Macklemore had been booked for eight of the ten shows left on the tour, which resumes Saturday in Philadelphia before moving on to Gillette Stadium, Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium. Irish actor Liam Cunningham, a longtime Palestine advocate, also weighed in, criticising Sheeran's stated neutrality.
For ticketholders, the practical impact is a shrunken supporting bill on the remaining stadium dates — Sheeran's own full set is still going ahead as scheduled. For anyone planning a trip around one of the remaining shows, expect heightened attention on the front half of the night and check the venue's lineup announcements before travelling, since the support bill could change again with little notice.