Beoga says it cannot play venues that silence support for Palestine, as Finneas, Aaron Rowe and Lukas Graham also withdraw.
Ed Sheeran’s own backing band, Beoga, has quit the remaining US dates of his Loop tour in protest at the removal of Macklemore after he spoke out for Palestine.
Announcing their departure, the Irish musicians said: “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.”
The group, who described more than a decade of friendship with Sheeran, said they could not continue performing in venues that excluded an artist for advocating Palestinian freedom.
“As musicians, 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.”
Their departure forms part of a wider revolt among the tour’s performers. By 15 September, Irish singer Aaron Rowe and Danish band Lukas Graham had withdrawn from their remaining North American appearances, while Finneas pulled out of his forthcoming South American dates.
The withdrawals carried a particular force because several of the musicians described Sheeran as a friend. They acknowledged the opportunities he had given them and the importance of their relationships with him. They were still prepared to leave.
“Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” Finneas wrote. “I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people.”
The dispute began with Macklemore’s opening performances at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on 4 and 5 September. He spoke about Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, called for a free Palestine and performed his protest song Hind’s Hall, accompanied by images from Gaza.
He told the audience that speaking about Palestine was one of his reasons for joining the tour.
“One of the reasons why I wanted to come on this tour was because I wanted to stand up here on stages and stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine.”
He thanked the Columbia University protesters whose encampment had inspired the song, recognising students who had risked their diplomas, tuition and scholarships. He then addressed Jewish audience members directly.
“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.”
His appeal also encompassed Lebanon, Cuba, Congo and Sudan. He condemned US immigration enforcement and ended with a statement of collective freedom: “None of us will be free until we are all free.”
The Israeli American Council subsequently promoted a petition calling for his removal, describing the performance as “a one-sided political agenda” and demanding clarification about whether the speech and imagery had been approved. The dispute then acquired an immediate commercial consequence: venues threatened to withhold their stages.
Messina Touring Group, the tour’s promoter, confirmed that multiple venues had refused to allow concerts to proceed with Macklemore on the bill. It said the resulting threat of cancellations would affect hundreds of thousands of fans, and announced that he would no longer appear on the remaining support dates.
Macklemore alleged that Robert Kraft, whose company owns Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, had gone further than banning him from one venue. In his account, Sheeran told him Kraft had rallied other stadium owners behind an ultimatum: remove the rapper or lose the shows.
Kraft confirmed that Macklemore would not be welcome at the Gillette concerts on 25 and 26 September. He cited the recent performances and what he described as “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery”.
He denied that the decision was intended to diminish Palestinian suffering or prevent advocacy for Palestinians. He argued that such advocacy should recognise Hamas’s responsibility and avoid harming the Jewish community, and offered to meet Macklemore.
The rapper’s history includes a 2014 performance in a costume that drew criticism for resembling an antisemitic caricature. He apologised at the time and denied intending to portray an ethnic stereotype.
Macklemore rejects the characterisation of his Palestinian advocacy as antisemitic. His response stressed the reality of antisemitism while arguing that the accusation was being used to shield Israel from accountability. He described his disagreement with Sheeran as painful, but said friendship could not override his responsibility to explain what had happened.
“But there is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed,” he wrote.
For Beoga, the prospect of continuing to perform in venues that excluded Macklemore was unacceptable.
“We are a traditional Irish band who never saw ourselves playing in stadiums of that size, and that opportunity is not lost on us,” the group said.
“We have been friends with Ed for over 10 years now and will continue to be.”
Beoga also made clear that their support extended to what Macklemore had actually said onstage: “We were there for Macklemore’s performance and speech. We fully supported his message.”
Describing themselves as founding members of Irish Artists for Palestine, they linked their decision to Ireland’s experience of colonialism.
They also accused “Zionist lobbies” of silencing him and directed attention to Kraft’s opposition to the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement.
“Research how much Robert Kraft has done to fight the BDS movement,” they wrote.
There is a documented history behind that reference. In 2019, while receiving the Genesis Prize in Jerusalem, Kraft pledged $20 million towards a foundation whose announced work included combating antisemitism and opposing the Palestinian-led boycott movement. The prize organisation’s own account identifies opposition to BDS among that year’s philanthropic priorities.
Rowe’s statement was equally explicit about the cost of withdrawing. He described Sheeran as someone who had changed his life, while insisting that gratitude did not settle the question of whether he should remain on the tour.
“But as Irish people we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation,” he wrote.
“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.”
For an artist building an audience, those support appearances represented exposure that could be difficult to replace. Rowe nevertheless framed the decision as a matter of self-respect.
“I would lose all respect for myself to carry on as normal,” he said. “I need to be true to myself and my ancestors who resisted colonisation, and fought for a freedom that I enjoy today in Ireland.”
Lukas Graham’s lead singer, Lukas Forchhammer, addressed the power of wealth more directly.
“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.”
“I love Ed and I’m grateful for everything we’ve shared. That hasn’t changed,” he added. “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.”
“This is a difficult decision, but it’s one I need to stand by.”
Sheeran’s explanation centred on his responsibilities to audiences and the people employed by the tour.
“Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision; it was not mine,” he wrote.
He said he had spent the preceding week speaking to venues and trying to reach a resolution. Macklemore’s contract, he explained, was with the promoter.
“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,” he said.
Sheeran described his concerts as places where people from different backgrounds could come together, and defended his decision to keep his professional platform out of political debate.
“I am not complicit,” he wrote.
The criticism has spread beyond the tour. Ms Rachel, the children’s educator and YouTube presenter, accused Sheeran of missing an opportunity to resist pressure over support for Palestine.
“Ed Sheeran had an opportunity [to] show that we won’t be bullied into punishing people for supporting Palestine,” she wrote. “Instead he caved to people who refuse to accept what the world knows. A genocide is happening in Gaza. We all need to speak on it.”
Singer Kehlani also backed Macklemore, alleging that the pressure extended across venues: “A LOT of the venues / owners are rallied together this way. honored to know you brother.”
The departing musicians’ statements challenge the practicality of that position. Once access to a stage is made conditional on removing a performer over his political speech, continuing the event also becomes a decision with political consequences. Beoga, Rowe and Lukas Graham made clear that their friendship with Sheeran did not remove that dilemma.
The language at the centre of the dispute also has a history beyond the music industry. In September 2025, an independent United Nations commission of inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel rejects the genocide allegation.
Macklemore has faced the loss of a booking before. In September 2024, Las Vegas’s Neon City Festival dropped him days after footage circulated of him saying “Fuck America” at a benefit event for Palestine. Organisers publicly cited “unforeseen circumstances”, without giving a fuller explanation.
This time, other musicians have responded by withdrawing their own labour and performances. Their decisions have brought the role of stadium owners into public view and extended the controversy into another continent’s tour dates.
The immediate result is a depleted bill and a dispute that removing Macklemore has failed to contain. For the artists leaving, the issue is their ability to speak about Palestinian lives without accepting that the owners of a venue should determine which suffering can be acknowledged.
Macklemore, meanwhile, has resisted presenting the episode principally as a story about his own losses. He pointed to the safety, money and opportunities that he and other celebrities retain, and urged attention back towards Palestinians.
“I didn’t need 10 shows from Ed. I needed 2,” he wrote.
He had lost the remaining appearances. The message had already reached the stadiums.
Sources and attribution
Prepared on 16 September 2026 from the supplied video transcript, the supplied Guardian and Newsweek reports and contemporaneous reporting. Quotations from Macklemore’s MetLife speech, Finneas, Beoga, Aaron Rowe and Lukas Graham are drawn from the supplied material, with transcription errors corrected against published coverage. Speakers remain identified in the article; publication references are collected here.
- Newsweek — Macklemore’s Full Remarks on Israel and Gaza as Rapper Faces Backlash, Amanda Castro, 7 September 2026. The supplied report reproduces the speech and explains the Israeli American Council’s petition. Its account predates the removal and subsequent withdrawals; those developments are covered by the later sources below.
- The Guardian — All supporting acts withdraw from Ed Sheeran’s tour in solidarity with Macklemore, Adrian Horton, 15 September 2026. The supplied report includes the performers’ statements, Sheeran’s response and comments from Ms Rachel and Kehlani.
- Associated Press — supporting acts withdraw from Ed Sheeran’s tour, 15 September 2026. Corroborates the departures and distinguishes Finneas’s South American dates from the US appearances.
- ITV News — support acts quit following Macklemore’s removal, 15 September 2026. Reports the artists’ statements and Sheeran’s explanation.
- The FADER — Macklemore’s statement and the promoter’s response, 14 September, updated 15 September 2026. Reproduces Macklemore’s account and the statement from Messina Touring Group.
- GBH — Robert Kraft’s response, 14 September, updated 15 September 2026. Reproduces Kraft’s statement and reports Macklemore’s remarks to Jewish audience members.
- Reuters Connect — Israeli American Council petition, 7 September 2026. Documents the public campaign seeking Macklemore’s removal.
- TIME — Macklemore’s costume apology, 20 May 2014. Background to the earlier controversy.
- The Genesis Prize — Robert Kraft’s 2019 award ceremony. The organisation’s description of its philanthropic priorities and the foundation announcement.
- Associated Press, published by The Times of Israel — Kraft’s $20 million pledge, 21 June 2019. Reports the pledge and the announced opposition to BDS.
- UN human rights office — commission of inquiry’s genocide finding, 16 September 2025. Identifies the finding as that of the independent commission.
- Reuters — Sheeran’s response and the wider dispute, 15 September 2026. Additional corroboration and context for the disputed genocide allegation.
- KTNV — Macklemore removed from Neon City Festival, 24 September 2024. Reports the earlier cancellation and the organisers’ stated explanation.
