Ed Sheeran has no more openers left on his Loop Tour, but at least one artist is coming to his defense after dropping Macklemore over his pro-Palestine remarks. On Friday, Aaron Rowe posted a video on Instagram defending Sheeran for his “human f*cking error” in caving to Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft’s demand that he remove Macklemore from the tour.
Rowe argued that instead of criticizing Sheeran, people should be “using this opportunity to plaster Robert Kraft’s face everywhere.” He framed the move as a panicked response from a person, not a principled decision, and urged fans to focus their anger on Kraft rather than on the singer.
Opening Of The Video
“I’m gonna be honest, I think you are all focusing on the wrong person here,” Rowe began in the video. “All I keep hearing is Ed Sheeran this, Ed Sheeran that, but you really should be focusing on the likes of Robert Kraft.”
He pointed to the Zionist lobbies that he said are trying to silence voices shouting about the genocide happening in Palestine right now, by Israel. “Look, I know Ed’s statement could have been a lot better, and I do think that Macklemore shouldn’t have been pulled off the tour,” Rowe said. “I fully believe it was panicked stations over there, and they rushed to a decision because they didn’t know what to do, because they were getting it from all angles.”
“That’s a mistake from a person,” Rowe continued. “And I haven’t had a chance to fucking talk to Ed too much, but I fully believes he knows that was a mistake.”
Pro-Palestine Openers
Rowe noted that all of Sheeran’s openers were pro-Palestine. “If Ed Sheeran was a fucking zionist, why would he have all these fucking people on the fucking tour?” he asked. “It was human fucking error. You all know my stance on Palestine. I’ll tell you right now, first hand, I know Ed Sheeran has done so much for so many fucking people, including artists like me, who he’s literally changed their entire lives.”
“All he has inside of him is kindness. That is who Ed Sheeran is, and yes, like every other human being, he makes fucking mistakes.”
Targeting Robert Kraft
After calling out the Irish government’s role in the Israel-Hamas conflict, Rowe turned his attention back to Kraft. “In the music industry, within the media, there are people with so much money and fucking power, that they’re able to basically shut down any opinion they don’t agree with,” he said. “You should be using this opportunity to plaster Robert Kraft’s face everywhere, someone who tried to shut down free speech, someone who tried to silence the voices of people who are shouting about genocide.”
“That’s what you should be using your energy on, not fucking Ed Sheeran, for fuck’s sake.”
Timeline Of The Drop
The controversy began on Monday, when Sheeran dropped Macklemore from his tour amid an outcry around his “Free Palestine” onstage remarks. Sheeran subsequently released a statement saying it was the “promoter’s decision” after Kraft assembled several of the tour venues to give him an ultimatum.
Following the statement, Rowe and fellow openers Finneas and Lukas Graham dropped out of the tour, along with Sheeran’s backing band Beoga. The move left the Loop Tour with no remaining openers.
What Rowe Said About Sheeran
Rowe defended Sheeran’s character directly. In the video, he said, “I fully believes he knows that was a mistake.” He also praised Sheeran’s kindness, saying the singer has changed lives for artists like himself.
Reaction To The Video
The video drew responses online, including several posted below the source article. One commenter disagreed with Rowe’s framing entirely. “There are a ton of Human F*cking Errors in this saga, and it’s precisely all the people who don’t even know what the word genocide means,” they wrote.
Another commenter took issue with the core argument. “He’s missing the point that Ed didn’t stand by any morals and buckled to billionaires. That’s not human error, that’s having no spine,” Jay wrote.
One user raised a question about Kraft’s identity. “Robert Kraft is Jewish. Doesn’t he have a right to stand up for the Jewish people?” they asked.
Invisible replied, noting that Jewish and Israel are two different things. “Speaking as a Jewish person myself who views Israeli 40 year policy of settlement terrorism as epitome of evil,” Invisible wrote.
Schedule Of The Tour
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Monday | Macklemore dropped from the tour |
| Friday | Rowe posts his video on Instagram |
| Ongoing | Finneas, Lukas Graham, Beoga all dropped out |
The schedule shows how quickly the situation unraveled. Nearly everyone involved with the tour has walked away.
Our View On The Defense
Rowe’s argument shifts the narrative from a fight against Sheeran to a fight against power. Instead of a singer who betrayed his principles, Rowe presents Sheeran as a victim of pressure from a wealthy owner.
But the video’s impact is limited. Rowe’s point about targeting Kraft is valid, but it doesn’t change the underlying concern: that Sheeran let a stadium owner dictate his guest list.
The video is a defense, and it reads as a sincere one. Rowe clearly cares about Sheeran and wants to protect him from criticism. Whether it changes public opinion is another matter — the video will likely find an audience among Sheeran’s fans.
The Bottom Line
Aaron Rowe’s defense of Ed Sheeran puts the blame on the promoter rather than the singer. Whether that changes public opinion is unclear.
The Loop Tour moves forward without its openers. The saga is far from over.
See the video the story is built around at Deadline.
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