By Zuleihat Owuiye, Nigeria

Ed Sheeran’s ongoing North and South American tour has been thrown into uncertainty after four supporting acts announced their withdrawal in solidarity with rapper Macklemore.

The decision by Aaron Rowe, Beoga, Lukas Graham and Finneas came shortly after Macklemore was removed from the tour following comments he made in support of Palestinians during a concert.

Sheeran had previously said that Macklemore’s removal was not his decision and that the promoters and venues were responsible.

Macklemore was scheduled to perform at eight of the 10 remaining shows on Sheeran’s stadium tour. The tour is expected to resume Saturday in Philadelphia before continuing to other major venues, including Gillette Stadium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Irish musicians Aaron Rowe and Beoga, Danish band Lukas Graham and American musician Finneas all announced that they would no longer take part in the tour.

Rowe and Lukas Graham had been lined up to replace Macklemore for some of Sheeran’s remaining US dates. Beoga had also been performing with Sheeran during his sets, including songs the Irish folk group co-wrote.

Finneas, who is known as Billie Eilish’s brother and musical collaborator, was scheduled to join Sheeran for the South American leg of the tour later this year.

In announcing his withdrawal, Finneas said artists should be able to speak about issues they believe are important. He expressed his support for Palestinians and said he had therefore decided not to participate in his upcoming dates with Sheeran.

Beoga also referred to Ireland’s history in explaining its decision. The group said its members understood the effects of colonialism and remained committed to supporting what they described as justice for Palestinians.

Rowe described Sheeran as a friend and credited the singer with having a major impact on his life. However, he said his personal convictions made it difficult for him to remain on the tour following Macklemore’s removal.

Lukas Graham described its decision as difficult while expressing appreciation to Sheeran. The band also argued that financial influence should not determine which voices are allowed to speak about suffering and political issues.

Sheeran addressed the controversy on social media, saying the decision to remove Macklemore was made by the tour’s promoters rather than by him.

The British singer said he had spent the week speaking with venues in an effort to find a solution, but ultimately the decision remained unchanged.

Sheeran also explained that he has deliberately avoided publicly taking a position on the conflict in Gaza because he believes audiences attend his concerts for music rather than political discussions.

He said he has personal views about the conflict but prefers to use his platform to bring people from different backgrounds together.

Sheeran also said he respected Macklemore’s decision to speak openly about what he believes, while maintaining that people can pursue peace through different approaches.

Macklemore said he was removed from the tour after shouting “Free Palestine!” during a September 5 performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey while introducing his protest song, “Hind’s Hall.”

He later said several US venues had told the tour’s promoter that they would not allow him to perform as Sheeran’s opening act.

Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium, said Macklemore’s removal followed what he described as the rapper’s recent comments and a broader history of rhetoric and imagery that he said was offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.

The controversy has now expanded beyond Macklemore, with the withdrawal of four other artists adding another layer of uncertainty to Sheeran’s remaining tour dates.