Finneas has pulled out of the Ed Sheeran tour, one of four acts to walk away on Tuesday after Macklemore was removed from the lineup for shouting “Free Palestine” during a show.
The Grammy winning producer is Billie Eilish’s brother and her creative partner. He announced the decision on Instagram with a short statement on a plain black background. “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. I stand with Palestine and its people.” The post passed 1.1 million likes. Finneas had been booked to join Sheeran on the South American leg later this year.
Three other acts left on the same day. Irish singer Aaron Rowe, the Irish folk band Beoga, and the Danish band Lukas Graham, known for “7 Years” and “Mama Said,” all announced on Instagram that they were done with the run.
It started on September 5 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Macklemore was introducing “Hind’s Hall,” his protest song named for Hind Rajab, a six year old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza in 2024. During the introduction he shouted “Free Palestine!” and spoke directly to Jewish fans in the crowd. He told them that criticizing Israel and opposing genocide was not an attack on them.
Days later, Macklemore said he had been kicked off the Ed Sheeran tour, which is officially called the Loop Tour. In an Instagram post on Monday, he said several U.S. stadiums had told the tour promoter they would not let him open for Sheeran. He also said Robert Kraft had rallied those venues. Kraft owns the New England Patriots, and his company, the Kraft Group, owns Gillette Stadium.
Kraft confirmed his part in a statement the same day. He said Macklemore was cancelled because of his recent comments and what Kraft called “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery” that he said had hurt the Jewish community. Macklemore has not backed down.
Sheeran broke his silence on Tuesday, and he put the decision on the promoter. “Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine,” he wrote on Instagram. He said he had spent the week talking with the venues to try to find a middle ground, but “the venue’s and promoter’s decision was final.” He added that he would not cancel shows, because he did not want to let down fans who had already made plans. He also said he would not abandon the crew and other musicians who depend on the tour for their income.
Sheeran said he has personal views on the war in Gaza but does not share them from the stage, because his fans “do not expect a political forum.” He wrote, “I am not complicit.” He also praised Macklemore for standing up for what he believes, while arguing that people can take different paths toward the same goal of peace.
Within hours of that post, the walkouts started.
Beoga pointed to Ireland’s own history in its statement. “We are Irish people who understand colonialism,” the band wrote, adding that its members helped found the Irish Artists for Palestine movement. The band’s exit hurts more than an opening slot. Beoga had been performing several songs with Sheeran in the middle of every set, including some the band helped write.
Rowe called Sheeran a friend and credited him with changing his life. But he said that as an Irish person, he knew “all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation.” He added that he would not stand by while billionaires used their power to silence people who speak up.
Lukas Graham thanked Sheeran and called the move “a difficult decision.” The band still made clear where it stood. “Money doesn’t give you the right to own the conversation,” it wrote. “Nobody’s bank balance should decide who gets to speak or which suffering we’re allowed to acknowledge.” The statement did not name Kraft, but the timing made the target clear.
The walkouts leave the Ed Sheeran tour with serious holes to fill. Macklemore had been booked for eight of the 10 remaining stadium dates. Rowe and Lukas Graham were brought in to replace him, and now both of them are gone too. The Ed Sheeran tour picks back up Saturday in Philadelphia. The remaining stops include Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and Gillette Stadium, which is Kraft’s own building.
The Messina Touring Group, which promotes the tour, has not publicly responded to the exits. Neither have Kraft’s representatives.
