Finneas, Lukas Graham, Beoga, and Aaron Rowe have withdrawn from Ed Sheeran’s tour in protest after Macklemore was dropped for voicing support for Palestine on stage.
Following an impassioned speech urging “all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality” while opening for Sheeran in New Jersey, Macklemore faced calls for his removal from the Israeli-American Council, which accused him of using his platform to “advance a one-sided political agenda.”
He responded by insisting that striving for equality “should never be controversial,” but was nonetheless removed. Macklemore later claimed that Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, launched a campaign to force Sheeran to drop him or cancel the shows.
Kraft defended his actions, while Sheeran stated he was “not complicit” and had spent the past week “trying to build bridges, to find a solution” but was “unable to do so.”
Several additional support acts have since pulled out in solidarity with Macklemore and Palestine.
Finneas, Billie Eilish’s brother and a vocal supporter of Palestine, was scheduled to tour with Sheeran in South America but has withdrawn.
“Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” Finneas wrote on Instagram. “I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people.”
Irish acts Aaron Rowe and Beoga, along with Danish band Lukas Graham, have also taken a stand. Rowe was slated to replace Macklemore for the remaining US dates, while Beoga served as Sheeran’s touring band, having collaborated on “Galway Girl” and “Nancy Mulligan” from “÷.”
“We have made the decision to depart as Ed Sheeran’s band on the remaining US Loop tour, following the silencing of Macklemore by zionist lobbies,” Beoga wrote, citing Ireland’s colonial history alongside Rowe. “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.”
Rowe added: “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. I would lose all respect for myself to carry on as normal.”
Lukas Graham thanked Sheeran for the opportunity but stated: “Money doesn’t give you the right to own the conversation.” “Nobody’s bank balance should decide who gets to speak or which suffering we’re allowed to acknowledge,” the band posted, seemingly alluding to Robert Kraft’s involvement.
Check out their messages in full below.
Sheeran has yet to respond to the withdrawals.
From the stage at MetLife Stadium, Macklemore told the crowd that those in Gaza and the West Bank “have not been forgotten,” adding: “I believe that every human being walking on this earth deserves exactly the same freedom.”
“I say Free Palestine, free Cuba, Congo, Sudan and Iran and all the people of America who live in fear because of this terrorist organisation ICE,” he continued, before performing his pro-Palestine track “Hind’s Hall” while displaying footage of Gaza onscreen.
After his exit, Macklemore told fans: “In this moment I think it matters. I am not a victim. Ed Sheeran is not a victim. Pink is not a victim. We have careers, money, opportunities, safety and audiences around the world. Whatever consequences any of us face for what we say, we get to go home to our families.” “The victims are the Palestinian people. The men, women and children who have been killed, starved, displaced and forced to live through unimaginable violence. More than 20,000 children have been killed in Gaza alone. People are being killed today, and people will be killed tomorrow. I want to make sure that as I tell this story, we don’t lose sight of that.”
Kraft confirmed his role in Macklemore’s removal, stating that the venue “does not provide a platform for hate speech.”
“Based on Macklemore’s recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran’s shows in New Jersey, and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community, we determined that his participation in the September 25 and 26 concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line,” he said.
“This decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf. Their pain and loss are real. But that advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community or obscure the responsibility of Hamas, a United States and globally designated terrorist organisation whose horrific actions have caused immeasurable suffering for Palestinians and Israelis alike.”
He added: “I would welcome the opportunity to sit down with Macklemore and discuss the facts, because ultimately our goal is the same – peace for all people, an end to suffering, and an end to all hate.”
Palestinian campaign groups have also called for fans to boycott the tour and for its cancellation.
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