Why Have Ed Sheeran’s Supporting Acts Dropped Out? They withdrew after Macklemore was removed from the tour

Why have Ed Sheeran’s supporting acts dropped out?

The withdrawals are a reaction to Macklemore being removed from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour. Macklemore had used performances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to speak in support of Palestinians and say “Free Palestine”.

After Macklemore was taken off his remaining dates, Aaron Rowe, Beoga, FINNEAS and Lukas Graham announced that they would no longer take part in their scheduled Loop Tour appearances. Their public statements differed in wording, but broadly framed their decisions around solidarity with Macklemore, support for Palestinians and objections to political expression being restricted.

Why was Macklemore removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour?

Macklemore performed as a support act at Sheeran’s MetLife Stadium shows in New Jersey on 4 and 5 September 2026. During his set he spoke in support of Palestinians, said “Free Palestine” and performed his protest song Hind’s Hall while imagery from Gaza was displayed.

The tour promoter, Messina Touring Group, later said that venues scheduled to host upcoming shows had indicated they would not allow the concerts to proceed with Macklemore on the bill. That created the possibility of entire stadium shows being cancelled, and Macklemore was subsequently removed from his remaining dates.

Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft publicly defended barring Macklemore from appearing there. Kraft said the decision related to what he described as antisemitic rhetoric and imagery associated with Macklemore. Macklemore has rejected the argument that his criticism of Israel amounts to hostility toward Jewish people and has said his message is one of support for Palestinians and equal human rights.

Artist

Macklemore

Trigger

Pro-Palestinian remarks during MetLife shows

Tour promoter

Messina Touring Group

Outcome

Removed from remaining scheduled dates

Which Ed Sheeran supporting acts have dropped out?

Four acts connected to upcoming Loop Tour dates announced on 15 September that they were withdrawing following Macklemore’s removal.

FINNEAS

Withdrew from six planned South American support dates

Aaron Rowe

Withdrew from upcoming North American support dates

Lukas Graham

Withdrew from scheduled support appearances

Beoga

Withdrew from its role performing with Sheeran’s live show

This meant that all of the remaining named supporting acts covered by contemporary reports had withdrawn, while Beoga’s departure also affected Sheeran’s touring band setup.

What did FINNEAS, Aaron Rowe, Beoga and Lukas Graham say?

FINNEAS

FINNEAS said that artists should not be silenced when speaking for people they believe are oppressed and stated his support for Palestinians. He had been scheduled to support Sheeran on six South American dates later in 2026.

Aaron Rowe

Irish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe described Sheeran as a friend who had changed his life, but said he could not continue with the tour “as things stand”. His statement referred to Ireland’s history and expressed solidarity with Palestinians.

Beoga

Irish group Beoga, who have worked with Sheeran for years and were performing during his live set, said their friendship with Sheeran would continue. However, they said performing at venues that they believed were silencing advocacy for a free Palestine was not an option for them.

Lukas Graham

Danish act Lukas Graham also withdrew. Frontman Lukas Forchhammer said people should be able to speak about war, civilian deaths and children affected by conflict, and criticised the use of financial power to restrict speech.

Did Ed Sheeran personally remove Macklemore?

Sheeran says no. In a statement issued on 15 September, he said Macklemore’s removal was the promoter’s decision and that Macklemore’s contract was with the promoter rather than directly with him.

Sheeran said upcoming venues had communicated that they would pull their shows if Macklemore remained on the bill. He said he spent the preceding week speaking with venues, promoters and people on different sides of the dispute in an attempt to find a solution.

Sheeran also said he chooses not to use his own concerts as a political platform and wants his shows to bring people from different backgrounds together. He said that remaining publicly quiet on a political issue should not be interpreted as having no personal views or not caring about it.

The supporting acts nevertheless made their own decisions to withdraw after Macklemore’s removal. Their statements generally did not accuse Sheeran of personally banning Macklemore; several specifically maintained their friendship or respect for him while objecting to the circumstances surrounding the removal.

Is Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour cancelled?

No cancellation of the overall Loop Tour had been announced as of 17 September 2026. The next scheduled North American concert was due to take place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on 19 September.

What had changed was the supporting lineup. Macklemore was no longer due to appear on his remaining dates, while Aaron Rowe, FINNEAS and Lukas Graham had withdrawn from their scheduled support slots and Beoga had left its touring role.

At the time of the latest reports used for this article, replacement support arrangements for the next show had not been publicly confirmed. Because the situation has been moving quickly, further lineup changes remain possible.