Ed Sheeran’s North American Loop Tour has descended into chaos following the removal of Macklemore over a pro-Palestine speech.
The speech made the promoter, Messina Touring Group, drop Macklemore, who was an opening act, from the tour. Now a huge number of fans are calling for ticket refunds.
In solidarity with Macklemore, the remaining support acts have also withdrawn. Finneas (Billie Ellish’s brother and collaborator), Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and the Irish band Beoga have all announced they are dropping out. 
According to them, the removal was the silencing of an artist speaking up for the oppressed. Finneas wrote that:
“Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed” and affirmed support for Palestine.
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Fans Demand Their Money Back
With Macklemore gone and the other openers walking off, some ticket holders are now demanding full refunds from Ticketmaster.
Fans who bought tickets when Macklemore was advertised as part of the bill argue that the product has changed. Posts on X tag Ticketmaster and Sheeran, requesting cancellations and refunds so the tickets can be resold.
Some have gone further, suggesting ticket holders not to request refunds but simply to skip the shows. They are arguing that empty seats would hurt merch sales, venue profits, and the tour more effectively than resales.
Macklemore’s Onstage Speech that Caused the Chaos
During Ed Sheeran’s shows at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on September 4 and 5, 2026, Macklemore used his opening set to make an explicit political statement.
The Grammy-winning rapper told the crowd that one of the main reasons he joined the tour was so he could stand in American stadiums and say two words “Free Palestine.”
Macklemore then performed his protest song “Hind’s Hall” with Gaza-related imagery on the screens. He also wore a keffiyeh and broadened his message to include calls for freedom in other places. In his speech he called the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) a “terrorist organisation.” The remarks quickly drew strong criticism.
Jewish fans and organizations, including the Israeli-American Council, launched a petition arguing that the concert had been sold as an Ed Sheeran show, not a political rally. They argued that an opening act should not use a major platform to advance a “one-sided political agenda.”
Macklemore was formally dropped from the remaining support dates. According to Macklemore, Sheeran told him that he would not be allowed to perform at Gillette (owned by billionaire, Robert Kraft) and that the words “Free Palestine” and images of the Palestinian flag had been hurtful to people Sheeran spoke with.
Macklemore responded that if those words were more offensive than the deaths of Palestinian children, there was a fundamental disconnect.
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