- Ed Sheeran is facing widespread backlash after rapper Macklemore was removed from his US tour for declaring support for Palestine onstage, a move triggered by venue owner Robert Kraft refusing to host the rapper.
- Despite Sheeran claiming he was not responsible for the decision, all four remaining support acts—Aaron Rowe, Beoga, Lukas Graham, and Finneas—have withdrawn from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
- Following the controversy, Sheeran lost nearly 150,000 Instagram followers in 24 hours, whereas Macklemore gained over 750,000 new followers, bringing his total to more than 7.9 million.
- The supporting musicians who quit the tour also experienced substantial growth in their online followings after issuing statements opposing the censorship of artists speaking out for Palestine.
- Sheeran's US Loop tour is left imploding ahead of his next scheduled performance at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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