Ed Sheeran’s world tour has been left without any opening acts after two Irish artists pulled out of the remaining shows.
Dublin singer Aaron Rowe and traditional Irish band Beoga are among five acts who have now withdrawn from Sheeran’s Loop Tour.
Their decisions come after US rapper Macklemore was removed from the tour following comments he made in support of Palestine during one of his performances.
Beoga had been performing a six-song mini set alongside Sheeran during his stadium shows.
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The traditional Irish band announced on Tuesday that they would not be completing the remaining dates.
In a statement, Beoga said they were grateful for the opportunity to perform alongside Sheeran and described their relationship with the singer as a friendship that goes back around a decade.
The band also acknowledged the scale of the opportunity they had been given.
They said: “We are a traditional Irish band who never saw ourselves playing in stadiums of that size and that opportunity is not lost on us.”
However, Beoga said they had decided they could not continue with the tour following Macklemore’s removal.
They added: “To play in venues that silence anyone advocating for Free Palestine is simply not an option for us.”
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Dublin singer Aaron Rowe was the first artist to voluntarily withdraw from the Loop Tour following the controversy.
Dublin-based artist Aaron Rowe. Photo credit: Quinn L Delbridge, Aaron Rowe Instagram
Rowe had been opening Sheeran’s shows since February and announced on Tuesday that he would no longer take part in the remaining dates.
In a statement, he said he could not stand by while people who speak out about the situation in Gaza were, in his view, being silenced.
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His decision came shortly after Macklemore was removed from the tour by its US promoter, Messina Touring Group.
Macklemore had performed his protest song Hind’s Hall during a recent Sheeran show and called for a “free Palestine”.
The performance led to calls for him to be removed from the tour, including from singer P!nk, while the Israeli-American Council launched a petition calling for action.
@ajplus Macklemore used his opening for Ed Sheeran to call for a free Palestine to a crowd of 80,000+ people. And he’s been speaking up for Palestine for years. The Israeli American Council launched a petition for him to be dropped from Ed Sheeran’s North American tour. #Activism #Palestine #Gaza #Macklemore #EdSheeran ♬ Breaking News - AltairMakin
Messina Touring Group later said it had been notified by venues hosting upcoming US dates that they would not allow concerts to take place with Macklemore on the line-up.
Macklemore subsequently spoke about his removal from the tour, reiterating his support for Palestinians while also saying that he considered Sheeran a “brother”.
Macklemore. Photo credit: LivHema, Shutterstock
“Ed is my friend. I've known him for 13 years. We've shared late nights, studio sessions and stages. He has this infectious magic about him that I've grown to love. I consider him a brother.”
“And because of that, we've had some difficult conversations this past week. The type of talks rooted in love and respect for one another that still end in a place of fundamental disagreement.”
Macklemore said Sheeran told him that Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and the Kraft Group, had contacted him about Macklemore performing at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts.
According to Macklemore, Kraft said he would not be allowed to perform at the stadium and had spoken to other stadium owners, who gave Sheeran an ultimatum over keeping Macklemore on the tour.
Sheeran confirmed the decision to remove Macklemore was made by the promoter and not by him.
The singer said he respected Macklemore’s decision to speak about what he believes in, while adding that he wanted to use his own platform to promote diplomacy and keep conversations open.
Following Macklemore’s removal, more artists have now chosen to leave the tour.
Lukas Graham, who had been part of the supporting line-up since August, also announced that he would not perform the remaining dates.
Finneas. Photo credit: Tinseltown, Shutterstock
Finneas, the Oscar and Grammy-winning artist, had been due to begin his run of opening dates in October but has now withdrawn as well.
Sheeran’s Loop Tour is continuing, with the singer due to perform a number of upcoming shows in the US.
