Finneas and Lukas Graham have dropped out of their supporting slots for Ed Sheeran‘s tour after Macklemore‘s politically charged dismissal from the trek.
On Tuesday (Sept. 15) — shortly after Aaron Rowe became the first to voluntarily withdraw from the Loop Tour due to the controversy — Finneas shared a succinct statement announcing his choice. “Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” he wrote. “I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran.”
The Oscar and Grammy-winning artist added, “I stand with Palestine and its people.”
Graham also wrote on Instagram, “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. We’re withdrawing from the remaining dates.”
Additionally, Beoga — the band that has played a six-song mini set alongside Sheeran during the Loop Tour shows — shared Tuesday that it has also chosen not to complete the trek, citing “the silencing of Macklemore by zionist lobbies.”
“We are a traditional Irish band who never saw ourselves playing in stadiums of that size and that opportunity is not lost on us,” Beoga wrote, noting its decade-long friendship with Sheeran. “To play in venues that silence anyone advocating for Free Palestine is simply not an option for us.”
Billboard has reached out to Sheeran’s reps for comment.
Graham has been a part of the Loop Tour’s supporting lineup since August, while Finneas was scheduled to begin a stint of opening dates in October. Rowe, who had been opening Loop shows since February, announced earlier on Tuesday that he was dropping out of the tour: “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.”
There are currently no openers remaining on Sheeran’s tour.
The controversy began in early September, when Macklemore called for a “free Palestine” on stage and performed his protest song “Hind’s Hall.” Many calls for his removal soon followed, including from P!nk. The Israeli-American Coalition launched a petition demanding action.
On Monday (Sept. 14), Messina Touring Group — the Loop Tour’s promoter in the U.S. — announced that Macklemore had been removed from the bill. “We have been notified by venues on the upcoming U.S. tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup,” the company’s statement read. “After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates.”
Robert Kraft — whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium, where the tour is scheduled to play later in September — confirmed that he had decided to ban the rapper from the venue. He said in a statement shared with Billboard: “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 Sept. 25 and 26th concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line.”
Soon afterward, Macklemore shared his account of what happened, reiterating his support for Palestinians and emphasizing that he sees Sheeran as a “brother,” but fundamentally disagrees with the handling of events. The British pop star posted a statement of his own Tuesday morning, writing that the call to dismiss Macklemore had been made by the promoter, not him.
“I respect Macklemore’s strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes,” Sheeran wrote. “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.”
See Finneas, Graham and Beoga’s statements below.
Additional reporting by Ariel King.
