Aaron Rowe Exits Ed Sheeran Tour, Citing Solidarity With Macklemore and Palestinians

Aaron Rowe, one of Ed Sheeran ‘s openers on his U.S. tour, has dropped out of the trek in solidarity with Macklemore — who was dismissed from the tour due to his “Free Palestine” messaging on stage — and the countless people in Gaza who are suffering.

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In a statement shared to Instagram on Tuesday (Sept. 15), the singer-songwriter began by saying that he doesn’t “take the decision lightly,” noting that “Ed has been a friend to me and has changed my life, I could never thank him enough for this.”

“But as Irish people we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation,” Rowe continued. “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.”

The musician added, “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 signed off, “FREE PALESTINE.”

Billboard has reached out to Sheeran’s reps.

Rowe’s defection from the Loop Tour is just the latest development in a controversy that’s been unfolding since early September. At his first two shows opening for the trek — which would turn into his last supporting Sheeran — Macklemore called for a “free Palestine” and reaffirmed his belief that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians, which the United Nations and other human rights groups have also concluded based on the Israel-Hamas war. Israel and its allies, including the United States government, deny this, affirming that Israel is justly defending itself in response to the Hamas terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023.

More than 73,000 Palestinians have died so far in the ensuing violence, The Associated Press reported in June, citing Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Following his demonstration at the MetLife Stadium shows in East Rutherford, N.J., many people — including P!nk — called for Macklemore to be dismissed from the trek, as amplified by the Israeli-American Council in a petition. On Monday (Sept. 14), Messina Touring Group, the Loop Tour’s U.S. promoter, announced that those calls had been answered after the owners of venues scheduled to host Sheeran’s upcoming shows had threatened to cancel unless Macklemore was dropped.

“There is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed,” Macklemore wrote in response shortly after the news went public. “I didn’t need 10 shows from Ed. I needed 2. Two chances to stand in front of 90,000 people and say the words that somehow became too dangerous to say. Free Palestine. But if those words cost me the stage, while turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I’ve ever been on.”

After Macklemore made his statement, Robert Kraft — whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium, where the tour is scheduled to play later in September — confirmed that he had decided to ban the rapper from the venue. He said in a statement shared with Billboard : “Based on Macklemore’s recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran’s shows in New Jersey and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community, we determined that his participation in the Sept. 25 and 26th concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line.”

Billboard has reached out to Kraft and Messina touring for comment as well.

Rowe’s announcement that he, too, will no longer be a part of the Loop Tour — in which he’s been involved on and off since February — came a few hours after Sheeran addressed the controversy in a statement of his own. The “Shape of You” singer had faced his own share of backlash from those standing with Macklemore and Palestinians, including MUNA, Ms. Rachel and more.

“After Macklemore’s performances at my New Jersey shows, venues on my upcoming tour dates communicated that they would pull the shows if he was still supporting,” the pop star wrote Tuesday morning, emphasizing that his tour promoter had made the call to remove Macklemore, not him. “I was informed that this stance was based on how Macklemore conveyed part of his message during his performance, rather than on everything that was said … I have spent this week trying to build bridges, to find a solution and unfortunately, was unable to do so.”

See Rowe’s post below.

_Originally reported by [Billboard](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/ed-sheeran-tour-opener-aaron-rowe-1236340788/)._