Irish singer Aaron Rowe is walking away from Ed Sheeran’s tour, saying he cannot continue after Macklemore was removed from the lineup following his outspoken support for Palestine.
Rowe announced his decision on social media, saying he was withdrawing as a support act from Sheeran’s tour despite the personal significance of the opportunity.
“I don’t take the decision lightly. Ed has been a friend to me and has changed my life; I could never thank him enough for this,” Rowe wrote.
But the singer said his Irish background made it impossible for him to remain on the tour under the circumstances.
“As Irish people, we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation,” Rowe said, adding that he could not stand by while, in his view, powerful figures attempted to silence artists speaking about Palestinian suffering.
Rowe said continuing with the remaining dates would mean losing respect for himself.
The decision comes one day after Macklemore was removed from Sheeran’s U.S. tour following comments he made during a September 4 performance at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, where he expressed support for Palestinians and said “Free Palestine.”
Sheeran subsequently said the decision was not his. The singer said promoters and stadium owners had objected to Macklemore remaining on the tour, and that he had attempted to find a resolution before the decision was finalized.
Among those involved was billionaire Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium. Kraft said Macklemore’s remarks and imagery were inconsistent with the venue’s stated opposition to hate speech.
Macklemore, meanwhile, has maintained his support for Palestinians and defended his decision to use his performances to speak about the conflict.
Rowe is not the only artist to leave.
Finneas, Beoga and Lukas Graham also announced their withdrawals from Sheeran’s tour, with their statements similarly citing concerns about artists being able to speak about political and humanitarian issues.
Finneas said, “Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed,” while Lukas Graham criticized the influence of wealthy venue owners over who gets to speak onstage.
The exits leave Sheeran’s tour dealing with a rapidly expanding dispute over where the line should be drawn between concert programming, venue policies and artists’ political expression.
