Ed Sheeran has had to patch together a fresh roster of opening acts for his American stadium dates after the abrupt removal of Macklemore threw the Loop tour into disarray. The friction began when Macklemore used his performance time to speak out in support of a free Palestine. Those remarks brought immediate condemnation from Robert Kraft, the owner of Gillette Stadium and the New England Patriots, who called the rapper's address deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community. Disapproval also came from pop singer Pink and the Israeli American Council, and Macklemore was soon taken off the tour entirely.
The reaction rippled quickly through the music world. Figures including Massive Attack, Roger Waters, Hayley Williams, Billy Bragg, Dropkick Murphys, Amelia Dimoldenberg, and climate campaigner Greta Thunberg all publicly backed Macklemore. Inside Sheeran's own production, the consequences were immediate. Members of his touring band and other scheduled support acts resigned from their positions on the tour in solidarity with the ousted rapper.
Left with vacant slots in front of stadium audiences, Sheeran brought in Isaac Slade, the former lead singer of The Fray, along with former American Idol contestant Brooks Rosser. Slade stepped in for the Atlanta date on October 3 and confirmed on Instagram that he will support Sheeran in Indianapolis on October 10, Charlotte on October 17, Arlington on October 24, and Tampa on November 7. Rosser also shared his plans to perform at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis alongside Slade and Sheeran, marking his first live appearance since competing on American Idol. Sheeran still faces open slots across the international calendar, with stadium shows in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay still waiting on confirmed talent.
Sheeran tried to address the growing controversy by stating that he was not complicit in the fallout. He described himself as appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine, calling the pain and suffering experienced on both sides a tragedy. During a tour stop in Philadelphia, he went further, addressing the crowd from the stage to apologize for making mistakes in how the situation was handled.
Macklemore chose to redirect his financial earnings from the tour, handing over his entire one million dollar payout from the Loop dates to six relief organizations assisting Palestinians. He followed that move by booking an independent Free Palestine Tour of his own, which quickly sold out every ticket.
Colleagues across the industry have offered varied reactions to the rift. Tom Morello commended Macklemore for standing firm, noting that courage is contagious. Irish singer CMAT felt that while Sheeran faced an unfair share of hostility, the headliner could have managed the circumstances differently. Bob Geldof stood up for Sheeran while also praising Macklemore and the musicians who stepped away from their touring jobs. Bono recalled that Sheeran deliberately preferred to avoid politics when the two worked together on the 2026 U2 song Yours Eternally.
Much of the criticism has turned toward the venue operators rather than the musicians on stage. Former tour opener Aaron Rowe argued that public anger belonged with figures such as Robert Kraft rather than the performers. Other stadium headliners have made their feelings known in public view. Country singer Zach Bryan performed at Kraft's own Gillette Stadium wearing a Free Palestine shirt, and Lorde posted a photograph of herself in a jacket bearing the same slogan, attempting to tag Kraft directly in her post.
