Ed Sheeran fans have vowed to support the star as they argued he ‘shouldn’t be blamed’ after all the opening acts dropped out of his tour following Macklemore’s ‘Free Palestine‘ row.
Macklemore was due to open for the singer at eight of the remaining ten shows on his tour in America, which continues on Friday in Philadelphia, but on Tuesday it was announced that he had been dropped.
All of the remaining support acts have since quit, including Finneas – Billie Eilish’s brother – Sheeran’s close friend Myles Smith, Irish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe, Danish pop band Lukas Graham, and Irish folk band Beoga.
Breaking his silence amid the backlash, Sheeran, 35, has insisted Macklemore coming off the tour was the ‘promoter’s decision’, not his. He added his audience is often young people ‘from different backgrounds’ who do not expect his shows to be a political forum.
Myles Smith has made sure to make his support for Sheeran clear as he highlighted the recent events would not affect his relationship with the singer.
He penned: ‘Ed is not the victim here. Palestinians are. But let’s not get confused: Ed is also not the perpetrator.
‘I need to be very clear about Ed. He is my friend. Not an industry friend. A real one. And there is no pressure, no trend, no headline and no comment section that will make me turn on him or hang him out to dry.’
Replying to Myles’s statement, many fans were also keen to support Sheeran as they said that to blame the star would make him a ‘scapegoat’ for the bigger problem.
Ed Sheeran fans have vowed to support the star as they argued he ‘shouldn’t be blamed’
Macklemore was due to open for the singer at eight of the remaining ten shows on Sheeran’s tour in America
One person wrote: ‘I stand by you and I stand by Ed. He has done nothing wrong. The people condemning him have no idea what has gone on behind the scenes and even if they did they would likely still need to throw stones at him because that is easier than accepting what has happened was not his doing. Is anyone blaming the venue owners or promoters?’
Another fan added: ‘This is beautifully worded, but most importantly, is a nuanced, genuine viewpoint. Compassion, empathy and understanding has no limit; to scapegoat Ed is to miss the point entirely.’
A third commenter chimed in: ‘Thank you for defending Ed. People are blaming him for this situation when he has done more for the world than they ever will.’
A fourth said: ‘It hurts my heart to see Ed being painted as the evil in all this, thankyou Myles for showing public support for your friend when others in the industry are as always suspiciously quiet when it come to voicing theirs, we love you & we love Ed.’
One person called the treatment of Ed Sheeran ‘disgusting’, adding: ‘He has a right to keep his concerts non-political without being ostracized by people on the left. Ed Sheeran is a good decent man. One of the most sincere musicians around today. The world has gone crazy.’
Another wrote: ‘People will never grasp how much Ed has done to try and make the world a better place behind the scenes. He has one of the biggest hearts ever.’
Someone else added: ‘This is such a genuinely nuanced take, and I really appreciate the room it leaves for empathy, humanity, and compassion for innocent people on all sides.’
Meanwhile another person said they were ‘fed up of people getting mad at Ed’, adding: ‘He wants to keep politics out of his music which is 100% normal and acceptable, doesnt mean he supports/opposes anything.’
When one person said he would be boycotting the show, fans replied to the comment asking for their tickets.
However, some fans still questioned Ed Sheeran’s actions. One wrote: ‘Think most people don’t want to see Ed fail. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t missed the mark here in a significant way that every one of us can learn from. The wisdom against neutrality is ancient.
Myles Smith penned: ‘Ed is not the victim here. Palestinians are. But let’s not get confused: Ed is also not the perpetrator’
Replying to Myles’s statement, many fans were also keen to support Ed as they said they to blame the star would make him a ‘scapegoat’ for the bigger problem
While another said he would be boycotting the show, fans replied to the comment asking for their tickets
However while some were fans of Ed, they still questioned his actions
‘And he can still learn better from this. And it’s more than wanting that for a person like Ed, Ed is just currently the stand in for a lesson many many people still could learn from.’
Another added: ‘Saying Ed doesn’t want politics to be part of his shows feels a bit contradictory to me, because art has always been political.’
One person wrote: ‘Love you and love your statement and how you stay by your boy. But unfortunately only us, normal civilians, can’t get a lot from governments, leaders, diplomats and people with real power.
‘That’s why it’s so important that big artists, who hold influence and power, tell their truth as well. Stand up for causes they believe in.’
Ed Sheeran has lost more than 200,000 Instagram followers in 24 hours after fans criticised him for dropping opening act Macklemore from his US tour.
While his Instagram follower count stood at 47.6million on Monday, it has now dropped to 47.3million.
Macklemore, aka Benjamin Haggerty, faced a boycott petition to drop him after he delivered a politically motivated speech in support of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank during his performances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4 and 5.
Responding with an Instagram statement after it was confirmed he was leaving the Loop Tour, the rapper claimed Ed told him billionaire Robert Kraft orchestrated the move having ‘rallied other stadium owners and issuing an ultimatum’ to Sheeran that the whole tour is cancelled or Macklemore is removed.
Kraft is the chief executive of the Kraft Group, which owns the NFL team the New England Patriots, as well as the Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts where Sheeran is due to play September 25 and 26.
Sheeran addressed the 43-year-old rapper being removed from the tour with his own statement which read that Macklemore’s speech had upset the owners of venues while reminding fans he will never personally take a political stance publicly.
After the news of Macklemore’s departure, all of Ed’s remaining support acts have also stepped away from the tour.
Finneas wrote: ‘Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed. I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people.’
Rowe took a strong stance as he wrote: ‘Ed has been a friend to me and has changed my life. I could never thank him enough for this. But as Irish people, we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation.’
He continued by saying he ‘cannot stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up’.
Lukas Graham wrote: ‘We should be able to speak about war, about civilians being killed, about children who deserve to grow up. Wherever they live. Whatever flag flies over them.’
They said their upbringing in a small Danish community made it so speaking your mind was part of everyday life and having more money did not invalidate one’s opinions: ‘I love Ed, and I’m grateful for everything we’ve shared. That hasn’t changed. But I can’t put these words out into the world and carry on with this tour as things stand.
‘I’m sorry we won’t be there. This is a difficult decision but it’s one I need to stand by.’
Musician and Billie Eilish’s brother/music partner Finneas led the four remaining acts who put out separate statements announcing that they will not continue with their dates on the stadium Loop Tour
Finneas is seen in LA back in November 2025
Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham, and Beoga also put out statements on Instagram Tuesday announcing that they are pulling out of the remaining concert dates
Irish singer Rowe took a strong stance (he is pictured in England in June 2025)
Lukas Graham said that their upbringing in a small Denmark community made it so speaking your mind was part of every day life and having more money did not invalidate one’s opinions
Danish soul pop band Lukas Graham is pictured
Lastly, Irish band Beoga, who actually join Sheeran during Galway Girl on stage, also revealed that they are removing themselves from the tour
Beoga is pictured as they revealed they have been friends with Sheeran for over a decade
Irish band Beoga, who joined Sheeran for eight songs including Galway Girl, also revealed that they are removing themselves from the tour.
They wrote: ‘We have been friends with Ed for over ten years now and will continue to be.
‘Playing to those crowds every night is the stuff of dreams but to play in venues that silence anyone advocating for a Free Palestine is simply not an option for us.’
Beoga also showed their solidarity for Macklemore as they echoed his sentiments by writing: ‘The whole episode is once again serving to distract from the real issue, over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed since the most recent so-called ceasefire.’
Smith, who previously supported Sheeran on his tour last year, released a statement on Wednesday morning, telling fans: ‘For everyone asking me to drop out of Ed’s tour, let’s get something straight: I’m not on that tour anymore.’
‘Supporting Palestinian life, safety and freedom does not require me to betray someone I know to be a good human being. It requires me to keep the focus where it belongs: on the people suffering, and on the people with the power to stop it.’
Myles highlighted his background ‘working in a home with Holocaust survivors, spending time with the Jewish community and hearing stories of bravery, survival, loss and humanity from people who had lived through things most of us only read about.
‘I’ve also spent my life around Muslim friends and families, spend time in mosques, celebrated Eid throughout my youth and grown up in Luton: a working-class, proudly multicultural, predominantly ethnic minority town where Island and Muslim culture were part of the beauty and fabric of everyday life.’
‘Neither of those experiences taught me to sit on the fence. They taught me to be human.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to Sheeran’s representatives for comment on the four acts resigning from the tour and has yet to hear back.
It remains uncertain how the Loop Tour will proceed with zero openers scheduled and 18 dates still set through the end of the year.
Sheeran had assured his followers on Tuesday that Macklemore’s removal would not affect his tour, as he told them ‘I would never let down the fans who had made plans’.
In his reaction, which came two days after Macklemore’s own statement, he said: ‘I am appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
‘The suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy. There are too many wars across the world causing immeasurable pain, none of which should be tolerated.
‘Macklemore asked to join my tour last year and I agreed, because I respect him as an artist. As with all my support acts, I agree that they play a setlist of their choosing.
‘After Macklemore’s performances at my New Jersey shows, venues on my upcoming tour dates communicated that they would pull the shows if he was still supporting.’
Sheeran continued by explaining that he had tried to find a resolution so that Macklemore could remain on his tour but he was not able to.
He said: ‘I was informed that this stance was based on how Macklemore conveyed part of his message during his performance, rather than on everything that was said. I spoke with the venues at length all week to try and build a bridge.
‘One of those people was Robert Kraft. I was also involved in direct talks with promoters along with activists on both sides to try and find a mutual resolution for all, but the venue’s and promoter’s decision was final.
Sheeran released a statement on Tuesday, addressing the American star’s position and reminding fans he will never personally take a publicly political stance
‘Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine. Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me.’
Sheeran then explained that there would be no alterations to the tour he has planned because he would never let his fans and crew down.
He said: ‘I would never let down the fans who had made plans, nor would I abandon the touring crew and the other support acts and musicians who rely on me for work and to make a living.
‘I have always used my platform and music to bring people from all backgrounds and cultures together and this won’t ever change. Those who have been to one of my shows will know that they are about unity, joy, escapism, love, and a place for everyone to feel welcome.
‘I am not complicit. I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn’t mean I don’t have them, and it doesn’t mean I don’t care. Nor does it mean I don’t support causes in my own, personal way.
‘There is a reason I do not use my professional platform for politics – my audience includes young people, often children, of all backgrounds. Those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum.
‘I respect Macklemore’s strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes. However, there is room for multiple approaches to the same end: peace. I choose to use my fame and platform to be a place of safety and sanctuary, to maintain diplomacy and keep conversations open, not closed. If we only focus on shouting the loudest, nothing will ever change.
‘There are different approaches to being an advocate for change. I have spent this week trying to build bridges, to find a solution and unfortunately, was unable to do so. I know who I am, both as a person and as an artist, and those who know my heart know my values too.’
Sheeran captioned his post: ‘It’s important I set out some facts.’
In a statement on Instagram, Macklemore claimed that his long-term friend Sheeran had told him that Kraft personally called the singer to inform him that the rapper would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts.
He wrote that ‘Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.’
In his 1,000-word statement the rapper went on to say that he did not blame Sheeran personally, writing that his friend was put in a ‘f***** up position’.
‘He told me that the words “Free Palestine” and the image of the Palestinian flag were hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with,’ Macklemore continued.
‘I told him that if those words were more offensive than tens of thousands of Palestinian children being killed by Israel, then there was a fundamental disconnect between where those people stood and where I stood. But he couldn’t get past his public facing, “I don’t take sides.” And I get why people don’t.’
‘Taking a side can cost you,’ Macklemore added. ‘Money, brand deals, sponsorships, festivals, private shows, relationships and access. I’ve lost all of those things. But there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed.’
He noted that the pair had had ‘some difficult conversations this past week’ and he hoped that ‘this isn’t the end of my relationship with Ed. Thirteen years of friendship doesn’t disappear because of one painful disagreement.’
Kraft has defended his decision to block Macklemore from performing, saying the rapper ‘crossed a line’.
‘Gillette Stadium has a longstanding commitment to providing a welcoming environment for all guests and ensuring that events held at our venue do not provide a platform for hate speech,’ Kraft said in a statement.
Macklemore claimed that his long-term friend Sheeran had told him that Kraft personally called the singer to inform him that the rapper would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium
Macklemore stated that every human being deserves the same freedom, and told the crowd he wanted people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank to know they had not been forgotten. Above, Macklemore on August 30 performing at the Goldencoast Rap Festival in France
‘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.’
The promoter for the American side of Sheeran’s Loop Tour, Messina Touring Group, said in a statement that they were told by venues of future dates on the tour that ‘they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup’.
‘Which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans,” a spokesperson continued to Rolling Stone. ‘After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates.’
As seen in fan-taken footage from his September 5 performance in New Jersey, Macklemore wore a keffiyeh at one point during his set and also performed his 2024 song Hind’s Hall with footage of Gaza on the massive screen behind him.
In the lyrics for Hind’s Hall the rapper criticises actions in Gaza. Proceeds from the song go toward humanitarian efforts from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
The full video from the performance shows Macklemore standing on stage and addressing the crowd.
Pink reposted an Instagram Story from StopAntisemitism, which slammed Macklemore’s performance and demanded an apology to the concertgoers
‘One of the reasons why I wanted to come on this tour was because I wanted to stand up here on stages in stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine. I said, Free Palestine!’ he told the attendees.
‘I want those words to be loud and clear so that people from Gaza, all the way to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten them.’
He then introduced Hind’s Hall, stating that it ‘was inspired by the bravery of Columbia University students who led an encampment movement that mobilized the entire world. Opened up hearts, myself included.
‘So thank you to those students that risked their diplomas, that risked their tuition, that risked their scholarships, that stood up and said, “No.” CUAD students, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voice for Peace. Thank you guys.’
He addressed the Jewish community, stating: ‘To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you.’
‘My message is for peace. Love. For all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality. So I say free Palestine. I say free Lebanon. I say free Cuba. I say free Congo, free Sudan, free all people in America living in fear over this terrorist organization ICE. None of us will be free until we are all free.’
Macklemore went on to post a video of his speech on social media with the caption: ‘Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial.’
The singer Pink weighed in on the controversy, reposting an Instagram Story from StopAntisemitism, which slammed Macklemore’s performance.
The caption on the post read: ‘Awful – Jewish fans bought tickets to see Ed Sheeran sing last night in NJ, not to be ambushed by Macklemore’s anti-Israel propaganda.
‘Instead, Macklemore walked onstage in a keffiyeh, shouted “Free Palestine,” accused Israel of a false “genocide,” and turned a mainstream event into a political nightmare against the Jewish state. Concert-goers are owed apologies and refunds.’
In response, Macklemore appeared to double down on his comments last week, as he posted a clip of his speech from MetLife Stadium with the caption: ‘Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial.’
Pink did not add any additional commentary aside from re-sharing the post.
In 2014, Macklemore issued an apology after wearing a disguise on stage in Seattle that many condemned as an anti-Semitic Jewish caricature.
In his apology after the Jewish caricature controversy, he said: ‘There is no worse feeling than being misunderstood, especially when people are hurt or offended… I respect all cultures and all people.
‘I would never intentionally put down anybody for the fabric that makes them who they are. I love human beings, love originality, and… happen to love a weird outfit from time to time.’
Macklemore added that he never thought he looked Jewish. ‘Some people there thought I looked like Ringo, some Abe Lincoln. If anything, I thought I looked like Humpty Hump with a bowl cut,’ he said.
The uproar comes after the UK last week imposed sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, sparking a furious response from Israel.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the measures would target ‘illegal settlements and settlement expansion’, adding that there had been ‘ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank, perpetrated by settler terrorists’.
It followed growing pressure for action to curb violence in the West Bank, amid reports of some 1,400 attacks by Israeli settlers this year – an average of over six incidents a day.
The British sanctions will ban settlement goods but also act against businesses and individuals providing services for settlement expansion.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar responded by accusing Miliband of spreading an ‘outrageous lie’.
He later announced counter-measures, including shutting the UK’s consulate in East Jerusalem.
But the UK was supported by France and Canada, who announced plans for trade bans on settlement goods, as well as nine other European countries who backed similar measures.
The 12 countries issued a joint statement warning the Israeli government’s actions in the West Bank are threatening the two-state solution.
The measures mark a sharp shift in Britain’s stance on Israeli settlements under new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, representing the most significant attempt in many years – from a close Israeli ally – to use economic power to force change in the occupied West Bank.
The Trump administration is taking a different stance, amid reports that it plans to sell to Israel a munitions package worth $2.8billion, which will include tens of thousands of highly destructive 2,000-pound bombs.
The package, which was reported earlier by the Washington Post, includes 20,000 MK 84s and 20,000 BLU-117s, according to anonymous officials.
US public support for Israel has fallen since the Gaza war began in 2023, particularly among Democrats.
A June Quinnipiac University poll found 48 per cent of voters and 66 per cent of Democrats believe the United States is too supportive of Israel, up from 16 per cent and 20 per cent when the question was first asked in 2017.
While the heaviest fighting has subsided since a ceasefire took hold in October, Israeli airstrikes have killed 1,369 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, does not distinguish between civilians and militants.
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