Ed Sheeran\u2019s openers quit after rapper Macklemore was dropped over \u201cFree Palestine\u201d remarks at a New Jersey show<\/p>\n
British pop star Ed Sheeran has lost all of the musicians booked to open his upcoming concerts after rapper Macklemore was dropped from the lineup over pro-Palestine remarks, according to NBC News. Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Beoga and Lukas Graham have all pulled out in protest.
\nThe dispute erupted after Macklemore, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, joined Sheeran\u2019s Loop tour at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey earlier this month. He told the crowd \u201cFree Palestine\u201d before performing Hind\u2019s Hall, his protest song about the Gaza war, and later said he had been removed from the remaining dates after several venues objected to his participation.
\nFinneas announced on Tuesday that he was withdrawing from his scheduled appearances, saying he stood \u201cwith Palestine and its people.\u201d
\n\u201cArtists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,\u201d the Grammy-winning musician wrote on Instagram.<\/p>\n
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Irish singer Aaron Rowe followed, saying he could not remain on the tour while wealthy figures silenced artists speaking about Gaza. \u201cEd has been a friend to me and has changed my life, I could never thank him enough for this,\u201d he wrote, before condemning the killing of civilians.
\nIrish band Beoga and the Danish group Lukas Graham also pulled out. \u201cMoney doesn\u2019t give you the right to own the conversation,\u201d Lukas Graham said.
\nMacklemore has accused 85-year-old Jewish billionaire and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft of helping force him off the tour. He said Sheeran told him Kraft would not allow him to perform at Gillette Stadium and had rallied other venue owners behind an ultimatum threatening future shows if the rapper remained on the lineup.
\nTour promoter Messina Touring Group confirmed that multiple venues had refused to host concerts with Macklemore on the bill, saying potential cancellations could affect \u201chundreds of thousands of fans.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Sheeran said on Tuesday that dropping Macklemore was not his decision and that he had spent a week trying to reach a compromise with venue owners, including Kraft. \u201cI have spent this week trying to build bridges, to find a solution and unfortunately, was unable to do so,\u201d he said.
\nKraft confirmed that Macklemore would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium, citing his \u201crecent actions\u201d and what he called a \u201cbroader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery.\u201d He denied seeking to silence support for Palestinians.
\nMacklemore has rejected accusations that his advocacy targets Jews. At MetLife, he said criticism of Israel and opposition to what he called genocide \u201cin no way is a criticism of you,\u201d describing his message as one of \u201cpeace\u201d and equal treatment.
\nThe Gaza war began with the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel\u2019s retaliatory campaign has left more than 73,700 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza health authorities. A UN commission has concluded that Israel committed genocide in the Palestinian enclave, an accusation Israel rejects.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ed Sheeran\u2019s openers quit after rapper Macklemore was dropped over \u201cFree Palestine\u201d remarks at a New Jersey show British pop star Ed Sheeran has lost all of the musicians booked…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38274,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t