Finneas Drops Out of Ed Sheeran Tour in Solidarity With Macklemore: ‘I Stand With Palestine and Its People’

Finneas, the Grammy-winning producer and brother of Billie Eilish, has become the latest artist to withdraw from Ed Sheeran's Loop tour, following Macklemore's removal over pro-Palestine remarks made during two New Jersey concerts earlier this month. Finneas had been scheduled to open for Sheeran on six South American dates in late November and early December. In a social media statement, he confirmed his decision came after Macklemore was dropped from the tour on Monday. "Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed," Finneas wrote. "I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran. I stand with Palestine and its people." His exit adds another prominent name to a growing list of defections that has disrupted the tour's supporting lineup.

Finneas's announcement followed similar departures by singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe and Irish band Beoga, both of whom left the Loop tour in solidarity with Macklemore. Rowe, who is Irish, framed his decision in deeply personal terms. "As Irish people, we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation," he wrote on social media. "I cannot stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up against Israeli genocide and who highlight the savage murder of children. I would lose all respect for myself to carry on as normal. I need to be true to myself and my ancestors who resisted colonisation, and fought for a freedom that I enjoy today in Ireland." He closed his statement with the words "Free Palestine." Rowe's reference carries particular resonance given Ireland's own history: the Great Famine of the 1840s killed roughly one million people and forced another million to emigrate, a catastrophe that remains a foundational trauma in Irish national memory and lends his words added weight for an Irish audience.

Macklemore's dismissal stemmed from forceful "free Palestine" remarks he delivered at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on September 4 and 5. MetLife Stadium, which opened in 2010 and serves as the home venue for both the New York Giants and New York Jets, ranks among the largest NFL stadiums by capacity. In a statement released Monday, Macklemore accused billionaire Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, of orchestrating his removal by persuading fellow stadium owners to ban him for speaking out. Kraft, a prominent philanthropist and founder of the Kraft Group, has long been a vocal supporter of Israel and has funded initiatives aimed at combating antisemitism.

Sheeran addressed the situation in his own statement earlier this morning, explaining that Macklemore's departure was not his decision and that he had attempted to intervene. The Loop tour, already marked by these high-profile defections, now faces a reshuffled lineup as it heads into its South American leg. The episode has reignited broader debates within the live music industry about the pressure artists face when their political views collide with the commercial interests of promoters, venue owners, and corporate sponsors.