Scandal Hits Ed Sheeran's Tour: Macklemore Pulled from Shows Over Pro-Palestinian Remarks, Other Musicians Quit in Solidarity

The American leg of Ed Sheeran's tour has become embroiled in controversy: rapper Macklemore was dropped as an opening act after making pro-Palestinian statements on stage, and four other musicians have since quit the tour in solidarity. The tour was set to resume on September 19 in Philadelphia, with Macklemore originally slated to perform at eight of Sheeran's remaining ten shows — that will no longer happen.

In early September, at his own concerts, Macklemore addressed the crowd, explaining why he had wanted to join the tour in the first place. "One of the main reasons I wanted to do this tour was the chance to perform in stadiums and say two words that mean a lot to me: free Palestine. I want those words said loud and clear, so people from Gaza to the occupied West Bank know we haven't forgotten them," the rapper said. He then performed his track "Hind's Hall," during which footage from Gaza was shown on the screens.

Organizers Sideline the Rapper

The performance sparked a wave of reaction on social media and drew criticism from conservative circles in the US. Messina Touring Group, which produces the American leg of the tour, said concert organizers disagreed with Macklemore's onstage statements and therefore removed him from the lineup.

According to sources, promoters and venue owners cited not only the rapper's current pro-Palestinian activism but also past controversies surrounding him — including a 2014 incident in which he performed wearing a mask with a black beard and an exaggerated large nose, widely seen as resembling an antisemitic caricature.

Musicians Walk Off One After Another

On Tuesday, Ed Sheeran himself addressed the situation, insisting that the decision to part ways with Macklemore wasn't his personally, but rather that of the tour's promoter and the organizers of individual shows. Many, however, saw his comments as an attempt to dodge responsibility rather than stand by his fellow artists and push back against organizer pressure.

In solidarity with Macklemore, several artists scheduled to open for Sheeran at upcoming shows withdrew from the tour. The first to leave was Irish musician Aaron Rowe, who had been performing with the British singer since February — he said continuing would go against his own convictions. Next came Finneas, brother of singer Billie Eilish, who had been set to join the tour in October — he explicitly linked his departure to his support for Macklemore and the Palestinian cause.

The Danish band Lukas Graham, who had been on the tour since August, and the Irish group Beoga, longtime collaborators with Sheeran, also pulled out. Members of Beoga said they were leaving in response to what they called the "silencing" of Macklemore. "We have decided to leave Ed Sheeran and cancel our remaining shows on the American leg of the Loop Tour after Macklemore was silenced under pressure from the Zionist lobby," the band said in a statement on Facebook. The musicians added that, as Irish people, they understand colonialism all too well, that they are founders of the "Irish Artists for Palestine" movement, and that they intend to keep fighting for justice.

Source: novinky.cz