Every Opening Act Quits Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour as Macklemore Fallout Escalates

The final North American leg of Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour is facing an extraordinary artist revolt. Every remaining opening act has withdrawn in solidarity with Macklemore, the rapper removed from the trek over pro-Palestinian remarks, leaving Sheeran without announced support acts just days before his next scheduled concert in Philadelphia.

The exits came hours after Sheeran released a statement saying the promoter, not the singer, had decided to remove Macklemore from the remaining North American dates. Irish singer Aaron Rowe, Danish pop band Lukas Graham, songwriter and producer Finneas, and Sheeran’s house band Beoga all announced they were pulling out in protest.

“Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” Finneas, Billie Eilish’s brother and a Grammy-winning collaborator, wrote on Instagram. “I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people.”

Rowe and Beoga pointed to Ireland’s own history of oppression. “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,” Rowe wrote. “But as Irish people 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.”

Beoga said in its own Instagram statement: “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.”

Finneas had been scheduled to support Sheeran in Chile, Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. Rowe and Lukas Graham had been due to open the remaining 11 North American dates. Sheeran’s next show is Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. None of the U.S. shows are sold out.

The wave of withdrawals immediately raised questions for ticketholders who may want to protest in solidarity with Macklemore, or who simply expected a full concert. It remained unclear whether they can exchange tickets or obtain refunds.

Ticketmaster says event organizers set refund policies and that refunds are “only allowed in limited circumstances.” The company’s standard purchase policy states: “Opening Acts are subject to change or cancellation at any time without notice. No refund will be given due to a change in or cancellation of a Participant or Opening Act.” Sheeran’s website adds that all sales are final: “If you change your mind about your ticket purchase, you are not entitled to a refund or exchange on your ticket purchase.”

The dispute traces back to Macklemore’s appearance this month as Sheeran’s opening act at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where he made pro-Palestinian comments and performed his protest song “Hind’s Hall.” The song was written after protests in support of Palestine spread across U.S. college campuses in 2024 and is named after Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli troops in Gaza. Last month, Israel’s military acknowledged that its troops had opened fire on the car carrying Hind and her family and said it had opened a criminal investigation into the killing.

“A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: ‘Free Palestine,’” Macklemore told the MetLife crowd.

“To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters, criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, it in no way is criticism of you,” he added.

His remarks drew criticism from pop singer Pink and pro-Israel groups, including the Israeli-American Council, which launched a petition to have the Grammy-winning rapper dropped from the tour.

Robert Kraft, owner of the NFL’s New England Patriots, said in a statement Monday that Macklemore would not be welcome at Gillette Stadium for the tour’s scheduled performances there at the end of September. According to Macklemore, Kraft — who in 2024 withdrew funding for Columbia University over its handling of protests against Israel’s war in Gaza — had “rallied some of the other stadium owners” to give Sheeran “an ultimatum: If Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play.”

In his statement, Sheeran said he had spoken with Kraft and other venues “to try and build a bridge,” but that their “decision was final.” “After Macklemore’s performances at my New Jersey shows, venues on my upcoming tour dates communicated that they would pull the shows if he was still supporting,” Sheeran said Tuesday on Instagram. “Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine.”

The promoter, Messina Touring Group, told Rolling Stone that venues on Sheeran’s upcoming U.S. tour had notified the company they would “not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans.” The company said that “after discussions with stakeholders,” it decided to remove Macklemore. Representatives for Messina Touring Group did not immediately return a request for comment.

Sheeran also insisted in his Instagram post that “I do not use my professional platform for politics.” “My audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds,” he said. “Those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum.” Several commenters quickly pointed out that Sheeran has used his platform for political causes before, including a video he posted ahead of a 2022 benefit concert for Ukraine. “I just wanted to say to all Ukrainians, I love you, I stand with you, and I’m so proud to be playing this fundraising event,” he said at the time.

On Wednesday, Macklemore pledged to donate $1 million from net earnings he received from Sheeran’s tour to organizations supporting Palestinians, then called on Kraft to match the donation. Within hours, Kraft issued his own statement saying Ed had called him before the challenge and asked him to commit $2 million to match the donation to aid the region and fight the humanitarian crisis. “I have dedicated much of my life to building bridges between all people. I believe deeply that all lives are worth protecting,” Kraft said. He added that for decades he has supported efforts that create opportunity for Palestinians and bring young Palestinians and Israelis together to build businesses, create jobs and forge relationships.

The departures leave Sheeran’s remaining dates without the opening acts fans had expected, and they put new pressure on a stadium tour already entangled in a broader cultural fight over the war in Gaza. The scheduled stops include:

• Sept. 19: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
• Sept. 25-26: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
• Oct. 3: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
• Oct. 10: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis
• Oct. 17: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
• Oct. 24: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
• Oct. 29-30: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, Fla.
• Nov. 7: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
• Nov. 21-22: Estadio Bicentenario De La Florida, Santiago, Chile
• Nov. 26: Nueva Olla Stadium, Asunción, Paraguay
• Nov. 29: Tomás Adolfo Ducó Stadium (Huracán Stadium), Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Dec. 5-6: Nubank Parque, Sao Paulo
• Dec. 11: Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes, Mexico City

As of now, none of the U.S. shows are sold out, and it is unclear how the lineup changes will affect attendance or whether fans seeking refunds will have any recourse. Under Ticketmaster’s policy, opening acts can change or be canceled without notice, and Sheeran’s own ticketing terms state that all sales are final. The Loop Tour is scheduled to continue Saturday in Philadelphia.