Ed Sheeran's support acts quit tour in support of Macklemore

All of the remaining support acts on Ed Sheeran's US tour have quit, after the rapper Macklemore was dropped from the line-up for making pro-Palestinian remarks on stage.

Irish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe and Danish band Lukas Graham also announced their departure. Irish folk band Beoga, who perform with Sheeran on stage every night, dropped out too.

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Macklemore dropped from Ed Sheeran tour after 'Free Palestine' speechPublished14 September

"Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter's decision, it was not mine," Sheeran said on Instagram.

Sheeran is set to next perform at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Saturday. His Loop tour website has not been updated, and Graham and Rowe are still listed as special guests.

His comments drew criticism from Jewish groups, after which some venues put pressure on the tour promoters to drop him from the tour.

Ed Sheeran and Macklemore, pictured in 2014, have been friends for 13 years, the rapper said in his statement on Monday

While the star said he was “appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine" and that the "suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy", he also attempted to explain his decision to keep political issues at arm’s length.

"Those who come to my shows do not expect a political forum. I respect Macklemore's strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes.

"I choose to use my fame and platform to be a place of safety and sanctuary, to maintain diplomacy and keep conversations open, not closed. If we only focus on shouting the loudest, nothing will ever change. There are different approaches to being an advocate for change."

If the statement was meant to placate his fans and other artists on the line-up, it has seemingly had the opposite effect.