Ed Sheeran Says Friends and Family ‘Abandoned’ Him Amid Macklemore Tour Controversy

British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran revealed in a recent concert that he considered canceling the US leg of his “LOOP” tour after his opening act, Macklemore, was removed from the tour. According to Sheeran, he also felt “abandoned” by his family and friends when this occurred. Sheeran also added that he would continue the US tour despite other acts also withdrawing.

Sheeran also added that he felt “abandoned” after several of the other acts also pulled out of the tour in support of Macklemore. Stadium owner Robert Kraft had also threatened to pull support for concerts at his venues if Macklemore made any further pro-Palestinian statements during his performances.

At Lincoln Financial Field on September 19, 2026, Ed Sheeran publicly discussed the challenges of his current tour. He talked about the media speculation of the last week and how it negatively impacted his personal life. Sheeran told the audience how swiftly the situation changed and how many of his long-time friends stopped talking to him. He said many people, including some of the people he knows best, stopped communicating with him and/or stopped supporting him.

Sheeran said he considered stopping the tour. However, because his fans showed him support and did not ask for a refund, he decided to continue. He closed by telling his fans that he didn’t feel abandoned by them. “I look at the end of the week, and I see 50,000 people who haven’t abandoned me,” he said.

Because he anticipated that people in the audience might be upset with him, Ed Sheeran also talked about his creative decision not to do a “B-stage” for the current tour. Sheeran has traditionally walked from the main stage into the middle of the crowd to connect more with his fans. Security concerns caused Sheeran to abandon this tour decision and any plans to walk through the audience to a center stage.

“I didn’t know if I would have things thrown at me. I didn’t know if people would be angry at me,” Sheeran stated before explaining the difficult nature of the situation, which required him to apologize to his fans, especially the families who brought children to the show.

On September 4 and 5, 2026, Macklemore, the opening act for Sheeran’s “LOOP” tour, made comments in support of Palestinians and performed “Hind’s Hall” at two concerts at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

It is alleged that Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, and other NFL owners contacted Sheeran’s tour producers to say they would not allow concerts at their venues unless Macklemore were removed from the tour, calling Macklemore’s remarks “hate speech.”

On September 14, 2026, Macklemore was formally removed from the tour. The Messina Touring Group stated that venues would not allow Sheeran to perform if Macklemore was on the tour, and that these constraints would require Sheeran to cancel the tour. Sheeran’s friendship with Macklemore was said not to be affected.

After Macklemore’s removal from the tour, all the opening acts on Sheeran’s US tour also withdrew their support.

On September 15, 2026, five acts also announced that they would not continue to support Sheeran’s US tour. These acts were Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and Beoga, Sheeran’s long-time Irish touring band. They all cited the owners of the corporate venues who did not allow pro-Palestinian free speech.

Rowe accused the stadium owners of putting a gag order on the entertainers. “I will not allow billionaires to silence the voices of the people who dare to speak out,” he said. Beoga backed Rowe and said, “As Irish artists, we appreciate the struggles of Ireland’s colonial past. We, however, cannot support the gagging of political speech.”

What makes this situation so compelling is that it illustrates how the live music industry is adapting to new conditions in the world. Canceling shows is rapidly becoming the preferred course of action for artists and owners when a series of disagreements around the world places geopolitical tension on a tour. Because of this, we may be seeing the beginning of a new age in the music industry, where artists’ speech is controlled even further.

According to sources, Ed Sheeran plans to continue his current US tour. Insiders say Sheeran has found replacement musicians to replace his band and openers. There have been no further tour updates as of September 21, 2026.

Why did Ed Sheeran remove Macklemore from his tour?
Macklemore lost his spot on the tour after making pro-Palestinian remarks during his New Jersey concerts. Stadium managers and owners also threatened to pull their venues if they didn’t remove Macklemore from the tour.

Is Ed Sheeran canceling his tour?
Sheeran has no plans to cancel any shows. During his September 19 concert in Philadelphia, he said he appreciated his fans’ support and plans to continue the tour.

Did Ed Sheeran’s openers and band also leave the tour?
Finneas, Lukas Graham, and Aaron Rowe have also left the tour along with Beoga. They all withdrew their support for Macklemore after he also left the tour.