Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour in Turmoil as Macklemore Ouster Triggers Support-Act Exodus

Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour is shedding opening acts and key personnel after Macklemore was removed from the remaining North American dates over his pro-Palestinian remarks, turning a stadium run into a growing free-speech and venue-power dispute.

At least three supporting acts, along with Sheeran’s house band, Beoga, have pulled out of the tour. The departures follow the decision to drop Macklemore from the bill after he used his opening set to voice support for Palestine and perform “Hind’s Hall,” his protest song.

Sheeran broke his silence on the matter Tuesday, saying the move was not his call. He said Macklemore’s contract was with the promoter, not with him.

The flashpoint began earlier this month, when Macklemore opened for Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. From the stage, he told the crowd that a major reason he wanted to join the tour was to say two words “very near and dear” to him: “Free Palestine.” He also performed “Hind’s Hall.”

The song was written after the wave of pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. college campuses in 2024 and is named for Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli troops in Gaza. Israel’s military acknowledged in August that its troops fired on the car carrying Hind and her family and said it had opened a criminal investigation into the killing.

Macklemore’s remarks drew backlash from pro-Israel groups, including the Israeli-American Council, which launched a petition seeking to have the Grammy-winning rapper removed from the tour.

He had been booked for eight of Sheeran’s 10 remaining Loop Tour shows. Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., was to be his next stop, with concerts set for Sept. 25 and 26.

In a lengthy social media post Monday, Macklemore said Sheeran and his team had decided to remove him from the tour. He described difficult conversations with Sheeran, whom he called “a brother.”

According to Macklemore, Sheeran told him that Robert Kraft, owner of the NFL’s New England Patriots, whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium, did not want him performing there because of his pro-Palestinian comments. Macklemore also said Sheeran told him Kraft had urged other stadium owners to deliver an ultimatum: “If Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.”

Macklemore acknowledged that Sheeran had been placed in a difficult position.

Messina Touring Group, the promoter, confirmed to Rolling Stone that Macklemore would not perform the rest of his support dates because multiple venues would not allow the concerts to go ahead with him on the lineup.

Kraft issued a statement defending the decision, saying Gillette Stadium has a responsibility to provide a welcoming environment for all guests. He cited Macklemore’s recent actions, material shared from the stage during the New Jersey shows, and what he called a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.

“Based on Macklemore’s recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran’s shows in New Jersey, and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community, we determined that his participation in the September 25th and 26th concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line,” Kraft said.

He added: “I agree with Macklemore. Too many lives have been lost and there has been too much suffering, but only sharing selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas is not honest and only advances more divisiveness and hate.”

As the controversy intensified, Sheeran initially stayed publicly silent. On Sept. 15, he released a statement on social media saying he was “appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine” and calling the suffering and pain on both sides a human tragedy.

Sheeran said he preferred to remain publicly neutral on political issues and repeated that Macklemore’s removal was not his decision.

“Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine. Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me,” he wrote.

He also said he would not let down fans who had made plans or abandon the touring crew and other support acts and musicians who depend on the tour for work.

Beoga, Sheeran’s house band, announced on social media that it would leave the Loop Tour in light of Macklemore’s dismissal.

“We believe in dialogue as a means of progressing the plight of the Palestinian people. … We are Irish people who understand colonialism. As founding members of the Irish Artists for Palestine movement, we are committed activists for justice and will continue to be,” the band said.

Irish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe announced on Instagram that he had dropped out as an opener. “I don’t take the decision lightly. Ed has been a friend to me and has changed my life, I could never thank him enough for this,” he wrote.

“But as Irish people,” Rowe continued, “we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation. 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.”

Danish pop band Lukas Graham also announced Tuesday that it was withdrawing as a supporting act.

Singer-songwriter Finneas announced on Instagram that he was pulling out of the South American portion of the tour. “Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” he wrote. “I have decided to withdraw my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people.”

The walkouts have transformed a scheduling conflict into a wider test of how much influence venues, promoters and politically engaged artists hold over major tours. For Sheeran, the departures create both logistical and reputational challenges as the Loop Tour moves through its remaining North American dates. For the artists exiting, the decision carries its own professional risk — but also a clear statement that they are willing to sacrifice a high-profile platform over the treatment of Macklemore and the political speech at the center of the dispute.

It remains to be seen how the remaining shows will be reshaped, or whether the controversy will follow the tour into its next leg.