All supporting acts quit Ed Sheeran tour in protest of Macklemore’s removal

Four supporting acts, including musician Finneas, stood in solidarity with the US rapper, as Sheeran said the rapper's removal was not his decision Finneas O'Connell attends the 2025 LACMA Art+Film Gala at Los Angeles County Museum of Art on 1 November 2025 in Los Angeles, California (Frazer Harrison / Getty Images via AFP) Published date: 16 September 2026 01:23 BST | Last update: 10 sec ago The artist Finneas and three other supporting acts quit Ed Sheeran's tour on Tuesday, after the US rapper Macklemore was removed for his pro-Palestine comments on stage. Finneas, Irish acts Aaron Rowe and Beoga, and Lukas Graham of Denmark all posted statements announcing they were quitting Sheeran's "Loop Tour" in solidarity with the rapper and Palestinian people. "Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” Finneas said in a statement on social media. His statement came after Irish singer Aaron Rowe published a statement, announcing that he had decided to withdraw as a support act for the British singer. "Ed has been a friend to me and has changed my life," he said. "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." New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The Irish band Beoga echoed a similar sentiment in a social media post, as they announced departing the tour ın response to what they called "silencing of Macklemore by zionist lobbies”. The Danish pop band Lukas Graham also announced their departure from the remaining acts, "We should be able to speak about war, about civilians being killed, about children who deserve to grow up," teh lead singer of the band said. "Nobody’s bank balance should decide who gets to speak or which suffering we’re allowed to acknowledge.” On 4 September, during his opening performance, Macklemore called for a “Free Palestine” during a two-minute speech before performing his pro-Palestine anthem "Hind’s Hall", named after five-year-old Hind Rajab, who was shot and killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in 2024. His speech drew both praise and backlash from across the political spectrum. The pro-Israeli group Israeli American Council (IAC) launched a petition to pressure Sheeran to drop Macklemore as his opening act from future tour dates following the speech. In a detailed statement on Monday, the US rapper announced that “Ed Sheeran and his team” removed him from the tour after billionaire Robert Kraft rallied other stadium owners to threaten Sheeran with blocking him from using their stadiums if he didn't drop him. Sheeran defended himself in a statement, saying that "Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter's decision, it was not mine." Some fans took to social media criticising the singer for not taking a stance and pointing out other instances he used his platform to raise awareness on other political issues. The British pop star also rejected the criticism that he was "complicit"; he has his personal views on what he called a "devastating conflict", and he does not use his professional platform for politics. "Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn't mean I dont have them and it deosn't mean I don't care," he said. Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.