Opening Acts Quit Ed Sheeran's Tour

Ed Sheeran planned a big concert tour called the Loop tour. However, a major problem started this week. Four opening acts and his backing band decided to leave the tour. They left because they wanted to support the rapper Macklemore.

Ed Sheeran recently removed Macklemore from the tour. This happened because Macklemore made comments about Palestine during two shows in New Jersey. He told the crowd that he did not forget the people of Gaza. He also said "free Palestine" on stage.

After these shows, some stadium owners got angry. Robert Kraft is a billionaire. He owns the New England Patriots and supports Israel. He did not want Macklemore on the tour. These owners pressured Ed Sheeran. Sheeran wrote a long post on Instagram and explained the situation. He said the owners refused to host the concerts if Macklemore stayed. So, Sheeran removed him.

This decision created a lot of backlash. On Tuesday, the other artists started to quit. The famous singer Finneas was scheduled to open six shows in South America in November. He withdrew from the tour. He wrote that artists must speak up for oppressed people.

An Irish singer named Aaron Rowe also quit. He was scheduled for ten shows in North America. He explained that Ed Sheeran was a good friend. Sheeran changed his life. However, Rowe said that Irish people understand occupation and famine. He did not want rich people to silence artists.

Soon after, Sheeran’s backing band, Beoga, also left the tour. They are a traditional Irish band. They said they wanted to protest the silencing of Macklemore. Finally, the Danish pop band Lukas Graham dropped out too. Their singer said that money should not decide our conversations.