Ed Sheeran’s North and South American tour was thrown into chaos on Tuesday when four of his support acts abruptly quit in solidarity with rapper Macklemore, who was dropped after making pro-Palestinian remarks on stage.
Hours after Sheeran posted on social media about Macklemore’s ouster, blaming the tour’s promoters for the decision, Irish artists Aaron Lowe and Beoga, Danish band Lukas Graham and Finneas posted on Instagram announcing their departure from the tour.
Lowe and Lucas Graham were scheduled to fill in for Macklemore for the remainder of Sheeran’s U.S. dates, while Beoga played several songs with Sheeran (including one he co-wrote with an Irish folk band) around the middle of each set. Finneas, Billie Eilish’s older brother and musical collaborator, was scheduled to tour South America with Sheeran later this year.
“Artists should not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” Finneas said on Instagram. “I have decided to withdraw from future tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people.”
Pressure mounts on Sheeran
The move by fellow artists puts enormous pressure on Sheeran, who has argued that fans don’t come to his shows to listen to politics, and has sought to avoid politics and weigh in on the Gaza conflict.
Lowe and Beoga each cited their countries’ history in statements explaining their decisions. “We are Irish people who understand colonialism. As founding members of the Irish Artists for Palestine movement, we are and will continue to be passionate campaigners for justice,” Beoga said.
Mr Rowe called Mr Sheeran a friend and said the British singer-songwriter had changed his life. “But as Irish people, we know all too well about genocide, forced starvation and violent occupation,” he said, adding: “We cannot stand by and watch billionaires use their positions of power to silence the legitimate voices of those who speak out.”
Meanwhile, Lucas Graham, whose band had hits like ‘Mama Said’ and ‘7 Years’, thanked Sheeran and said it was a “difficult decision”.
“Money doesn’t give you the right to own the conversation. No one’s bank balance should determine who gets to speak or what suffering is allowed to be acknowledged,” the band posted, apparently referring to billionaire Robert Kraft’s role in Macklemore’s exclusion from the tour.
Emails seeking comment were sent to Sheeran and the tour’s promoter, Messina Touring Group.
The crisis began with Macklemore’s firing.
Sheeran spoke out about Macklemore’s exit after he made pro-Palestinian remarks on stage during the tour, saying the decision was made solely by the promoter. The British singer also said he refused to be drawn into public discussion about the Gaza war.
“It was the promoter’s decision to remove Macklemore from the tour, not mine,” Sheeran wrote on Instagram Tuesday. “I have no intention of letting down my fans who have made plans for me, and I have no intention of abandoning my touring crew and other support acts and musicians who depend on me for their jobs and livelihoods.”
Sheeran’s statement came a day after Macklemore said he was removed from the Loop tour for yelling “Liberate Palestine!” During their date at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on September 5th, they performed the protest song “Hind’s Hole.”
“My Jewish brothers and sisters, criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, opposition to genocide is in no way a criticism of you,” he said during the concert.
Macklemore said on Instagram on Monday that several venues in the U.S. have notified promoters that they are barring Sheeran from appearing as an opening act, following a call from Kraft, owner of the NFL’s New England Patriots. His Kraft Group also owns Gillette Stadium, where the Patriots play.
Kraft said in a statement Monday that Macklemore’s decision to cancel was the result of recent statements of “an extensive history of anti-Semitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe is deeply offensive and harmful to the Jewish community.”
Representatives for Kraft did not immediately respond to an email Tuesday seeking comment on the actions of other music artists.
Sheeran: “I’m not complicit”
A growing number of organizations and experts say Israel’s wartime actions in Gaza amount to genocide, a charge Israel vehemently rejects.
Macklemore was scheduled to perform at eight of the 10 remaining shows on Sheeran’s Stadium Tour, which is scheduled to resume Saturday in Philadelphia. Stops include Gillette Stadium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
In a social media post, Sheeran said he had “spent a week of extensive discussions with the venue to build bridges” but that “the decision was the final decision between the venue and the promoter.”
He writes that he strives to use his music to “bring people together from all backgrounds and cultures” and that while he has personal views on “this devastating conflict,” he chooses not to speak publicly because the people who come to his shows “don’t expect a political forum.” He added, “I am not complicit.”
“I admire Macklemore’s strength of purpose in standing up and shouting for what he believes in,” Sheeran added. “But there is room for multiple approaches to the same goal of peace. I have chosen to use my fame and position as a safe and sanctum to maintain diplomacy and keep the conversation open rather than closed.”