One opening-set speech cleared out Ed Sheeran's lineup of supporting acts within just a few days. Macklemore was dropped from the tour after voicing support for Palestine and condemning genocide while opening for Sheeran at Gillette Stadium in New Jersey. Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft called the remarks "deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community," a statement that led to Macklemore's removal.
Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey, speaking on Boston Public Radio, joined FINNEAS, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and Beoga in publicly backing Macklemore. "Thirty years as a musician, every tour we've picked our opening acts, that's brotherhood, sisterhood, that's family," Casey said. "You live and die with the people you bring on the road—they're your people."
He didn't hold back on how Sheeran's response sat with him: "Ed Sheeran took a knee, for whatever reason, but didn't stand by his tour partner—that felt wrong. That's not how Dropkick Murphys would handle it."
Casey drew a parallel to his own band's experience. A longtime vocal critic of the Trump administration, he recalled speaking his mind onstage "every night" during a set at Rocklahoma, which drove "about half the crowd" to walk out. "I was immediately told this pissed off the venue owner, and I'm sure we'll never be invited back," he said—but he still believes standing by your convictions matters most. "Every artist I loved growing up, no matter what, stuck by what they sang about in their songs. Once you give that up, your music doesn't mean anything, if you ask me."
Sheeran himself has addressed the controversy, saying he's "not complicit" and that he's "shocked" by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, calling the suffering on both sides a "tragedy." Since the incident, Sheeran has lost over 200,000 Instagram followers, while Macklemore has gained more than 1.6 million. Former Sheeran opening acts BIIRD and Myles Smith have also come out in support of Macklemore, with BIIRD writing, "We stand behind everything he said, no reservations." Pink Floyd's Roger Waters called Sheeran a "little shit" and praised Macklemore for doing "the right thing."
Meanwhile, Macklemore has donated the full $1 million he earned from the tour to Palestine, while Kraft responded with a $2 million pledge to "aid the region." Sheeran has yet to comment on the string of opening acts exiting the tour or on remarks from Casey and others.
