He walked away

Aaron Rowe, one of Ed Sheeran's openers on the U.S. Loop Tour, quit the trek in solidarity with Macklemore and with people in Gaza.

Not an easy call

Rowe said on Instagram he doesn't take it lightly. Sheeran has been a friend, gave him the biggest stage of his life, and he said he could never thank him enough.

“Ed has been a friend to me and has changed my life”

Irish history, his reason

Rowe framed the choice through Ireland's own past of famine, occupation and resistance, saying he owed it to ancestors who fought for the freedom he has now.

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

Two words, two shows

Macklemore used his first two opening sets at MetLife Stadium to call for a free Palestine and to say Israel is committing genocide, a conclusion the UN and rights groups share.

The other side

Israel and the U.S. government reject the genocide charge, saying Israel is defending itself after the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023. Gaza's Health Ministry counted more than 73,000 dead by June.

Venues forced the issue

Promoter Messina Touring Group dropped Macklemore after stadium owners threatened to cancel upcoming shows. Robert Kraft then banned him from Gillette Stadium outright.

“we determined that his participation in the Sept. 25 and 26th concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line”

Sheeran says it wasn't him

Sheeran wrote that venues told his team they would pull dates if Macklemore stayed, and that he spent the week trying to find another way out.

“I have spent this week trying to build bridges, to find a solution and unfortunately, was unable to do so”

Macklemore counted it a win

He said he never needed ten shows, just two, and that losing the stage while pushing the conversation back to Palestine made it his most successful tour.

“There is no neutral position between the oppressor and the oppressed”