Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour Loses Every Opening Act After Macklemore Removal

Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour is moving forward without a single opening act. On September 15, Finneas, Lukas Graham, Beoga and Aaron Rowe all withdrew from the tour, and every one of them cited the same reason: Macklemore was removed from the bill. The promoter, Messina Touring Group, says venues refused to host concerts with Macklemore on the lineup after he performed his“Free Palestine”protest song“Hind’s Hall”onstage. Robert Kraft also banned him from Gillette Stadium.

Sheeran addressed it directly, saying the decision came from the promoter and not from him. He added that he respects Macklemore’s beliefs but chooses to use his platform as a place of safety and open conversation. Meanwhile, the openers who walked away had real time invested. Finneas was set to open the October dates, Lukas Graham had been supporting since August, and Aaron Rowe since February.

So what do you make of it? Some folks see four artists putting principle over paychecks. Others see a tour caught in a fight that has nothing to do with the music. Either way, it raises a question worth chewing on: when a promoter or a venue owner decides who’s allowed onstage, where does that leave the artists?

We want to hear from you. Should venues and promoters have the final say on who performs, or should that call belong to the artist? Sound off in the comments.