Ed Sheeran’s stadium tour has been hit by a wave of departures after four supporting acts pulled out following the removal of rapper Macklemore from the lineup.
Aaron Rowe, Irish folk group Beoga, Danish band Lukas Graham and singer-songwriter Finneas announced they would no longer participate in the tour, turning what began as a dispute over one opening act into a much broader controversy surrounding the tour.
The dispute began after Macklemore made pro-Palestinian comments while performing at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 5. The rapper had been scheduled to appear at eight of the 10 remaining dates on Sheeran’s stadium tour.
Macklemore later said multiple U.S. venues objected to him remaining on the tour. He also alleged that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, played a role in organizing opposition among stadium operators.
Kraft confirmed that Macklemore would not be permitted to perform at Gillette Stadium. He said the decision was based on the rapper’s recent statements as well as what Kraft described as a history of rhetoric and imagery that had offended members of the Jewish community.
Sheeran, meanwhile, has sought to distance himself from the decision to remove Macklemore.
The British singer-songwriter said the call was made by the tour’s promoters and venues, not by him. Sheeran said he spent days speaking with venues in an effort to find a solution, but the decision ultimately remained unchanged.
That explanation did not prevent other artists from walking away.
Rowe and Lukas Graham had been expected to fill some of the dates left vacant by Macklemore. Beoga had already been appearing during Sheeran’s concerts, performing songs connected to their previous collaborations. Finneas, the Grammy-winning artist and longtime collaborator of his sister Billie Eilish, was scheduled to join Sheeran for dates in South America later this year.
The artists cited solidarity with Palestinians and concerns about limiting musicians’ ability to speak publicly about political and humanitarian issues as reasons for leaving the tour.
Their exits leave Sheeran in an unusually complicated position. He has generally avoided making his concerts political events and has said audiences attend his shows for music rather than political debate.
Sheeran said he respects Macklemore’s willingness to publicly advocate for causes he believes in while explaining that he has chosen another path. He described his own goal as using music to bring together people from different cultures and backgrounds.
The disagreement now extends well beyond one artist and one performance. What began with Macklemore’s removal has developed into a wider debate involving musicians, promoters and some of the biggest stadiums in American entertainment.
For Sheeran, the immediate challenge is also practical. With multiple supporting performers suddenly gone, one of pop music’s biggest touring operations now has significant holes to fill as the stadium run moves forward.
