Macklemore is no longer part of Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour, and in the days since his exit four fellow opening acts have left the run in solidarity — turning a single lineup change into one of the most talked-about stories of the stadium season.
The Grammy-winning rapper, born Ben Haggerty and known for hits such as “Thrift Shop” and “Can’t Hold Us,” had been one of the tour’s supporting performers. During the September 5 show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, he said “Free Palestine” while introducing one of his songs, adding that criticism of Israel’s policies was, in his words, not criticism of Jewish people. The remarks drew a sharp response from Robert Kraft, owner of the Kraft Group and Gillette Stadium, who cited the comments and what he described as a broader pattern he found offensive. In the days that followed, venues along the remaining route declined to host the rapper, and on September 15 Macklemore confirmed he had been dropped from the bill.
The fallout widened quickly. On September 16, four other supporting artists — Finneas, Lukas Graham, Beoga and Aaron Rowe — announced on social media that they were stepping away from the tour, each pointing to the decision around Macklemore as their reason for leaving.
Ed Sheeran addressed the matter directly, stressing that the call had come from the tour’s promoter rather than from him. He said he prefers to keep his concerts free of politics, describing his shows as a place fans come for music rather than a political forum.
The Loop Tour continues its run of North and South American stadium dates, with remaining U.S. stops that were set to feature Macklemore now going ahead without him — among them Philadelphia, Gillette Stadium near Boston, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. As of now, neither the organizers nor the departing acts have named replacements for the vacated opening slots, and it remains unclear whether the walkouts will affect the schedule for the tour’s final weeks.
