Ed Sheeran Loses 200,000 Instagram Followers as Support Acts Gain 1.6M - Newsweek
Ed Sheeran has lost more than 200,000 followers on Instagram in a matter of days as the artists dropped from or who have quit his tour have gained a combined 1.6 million.
The shift in numbers comes as the singer-songwriter has faced criticism after the removal of Macklemore from the U.S. leg of Sheeran’s Loop Tour after the Grammy-winning rapper made pro-Palestinian remarks during a performance.
Sheeran said in a statement on Tuesday that it was not his decision for Macklemore to be removed from the tour. The 35-year-old singer said that he was “appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine,” and said that the suffering on “both sides” was a “human tragedy.”
But he has only faced increased backlash since releasing the statement and all the remaining support acts have now quit the tour.
Finneas, the musician and brother of pop star Billie Eilish, confirmed that he would no longer perform. Irish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe, Danish band Lukas Graham and Irish folk group Beoga, which has previously performed with Sheeran, also announced their departures.
Since the controversy, the five artists have gained a combined 1.638 million followers, more than seven times the number Sheeran has lost.
Newsweek has contacted representatives for Sheeran, Macklemore, Finneas, Graham, Beoga and Rowe for comment.
Engagement rates on the posted statements can also offer a glimpse into public sentiment.
Sheeran’s statement, posted to his 47.3 million followers on September 15, has been liked 544,000 times. Meanwhile, Macklemore’s statement, shared to his 7.9 million followers, has been liked 6.9 million times. Similarly, the statement shared by the singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe, who has 315,000 followers, has been liked over 1 million times
Macklemore spoke about the war in Gaza on September 4 while opening for Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. "Two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine," he told the crowd, adding calls for Cuba, Congo, Sudan and Iran, and calling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) a "terrorist organization."
He then performed the 2024 song, Hinds Hall. The title of that song is a reference to pro-Palestinian activists at Columbia University renaming a building, Hind’s Hall, in honor of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old girl who was killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip. The song expresses support for pro-Palestinian protests and calls for an end to the war in Gaza.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect on October 10, 2025. The war began after October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. Israel responded with a large-scale military operation.
A June report from the United Nations said that the Israeli military action resulted in genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza. Israel has denied this.
Methodology: figures are aggregated using data from the tool Social Blade. The average for the past fourteen days takes into account followers lost and gained. Followers gained and lost on September 16 are still being counted.
According to data on the analytics tool Social Blade, Sheeran has lost 219,000 followers over the past 14 days.
Zooming into analytics on the days that statements have been made, on September 15, the day he issued the statement about the tour, Sheeran lost 149,635 followers. The day prior, when Macklemore confirmed that he had been dropped from the tour, he lost 43,648 follower and as of reporting on Wednesday morning, he has lost 70,111 followers so far on September 16, culminating in a total loss of 263,394 followers over a two-and-a-half-day period.
Over the past 14 days, Macklemore has gained around 1.3 million followers on Instagram.
On Monday, September 14, the day he confirmed that he had been dropped from Sheeran’s tour, he gained 423,583 followers. On September 15, when Sheeran issued his statement, he gained 757,098 followers. As of reporting on Wednesday, September 16, he has gained 359,532.
The followers gained over that two-and-a-half-day period come out to a total of 1.54 million.
Finneas has gained an average of 96,000 followers over the past 14 days..
On Tuesday, September 15, when he issued the statement confirming his departure from Sheeran’s tour, he gained 96,163 followers. As of reporting on Wednesday morning, he has gained a further 80,739 followers so far on September 16, totalling 176,902 so far this week.
Rowe has gained an average of 133,000 followers in the past 14 days.
On Tuesday, September 15, when Rowe issued the statement confirming his departure from Sheeran’s tour, he gained 132,034 followers. That is a significant growth for Rowe. The previous Tuesday, September 8, for example, he gained a total of 1 follower.
As of reporting on Wednesday morning, he has gained 67,213 followers.
Graham has gained an average of 22,000 followers over the past 14 days.
On Tuesday, September 15, the day he confirmed his departure from the tour. He gained 19,372 followers. As of reporting on Wednesday morning, he has gained 85,256 followers so far on September 16.
The band Beoga have gained an average of 87,000 followers over the past 14 days.
On Tuesday, September 15, after confirming their departure from Sheeran’s tour, Beoga gained 86,548 followers. As of reporting on Wednesday morning, Beoga have gained 120,676 on September 16.
“Ed Sheeran and his team have made the decision to remove me from The Loop tour.
But before I get into it, I want to say something that should be obvious. In this moment, I think it matters. I am not a victim. Ed Sheeran is not a victim. Pink is not a victim. We have careers, money, opportunities, safety and audiences around the world. Whatever consequences any of us face for what we say, we get to go home to our families…
“I didn't need 10 shows from Ed. I needed 2. Two chances to stand in front of 90,000 people and say the words that somehow became too dangerous to say. Free Palestine. But if those words cost me the stage, while turning the conversation back to Palestine, then it was the most successful tour I've ever been on.
I hope this isn't the end of my relationship with Ed. Thirteen years of friendship doesn't disappear because of one painful disagreement. I hope we both continue listening, studying what is happening in Palestine and wrestling with what neutrality means in a moment like this. My door will always be open to continuing that conversation.”
“Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed.
I have decided to withdraw from my upcoming tour dates with Ed Sheeran.
I stand with Palestine and its people.”
“I have made the decision to withdraw as a support act for Ed Sheeran’s ‘The Loop’ North American Tour. I don’t take the decision lightly. Ed has been a friend to me and has changed my life, I could never thank him enough for this.
But as Irish people we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation.
I cannot stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up against Israeli genocide and who highlight the savage murder of children. I would lose all respect for myself to carry on as normal.
I need to be true to myself and my ancestors who resisted colonisation, and fought for a freedom that I enjoy today in Ireland. Free Palestine.”
“It’s hard to watch families in other parts of the world burying the people they love. We should be able to speak about war, about civilians being killed, about children who deserve to grow up. Wherever they live. Whatever flag flies over them.
I grew up in Christiania, a small community in Denmark where speaking your mind was part of everyday life. Having more money didn’t make your opinion worth more than anyone else’s.
Money doesn’t give you the right to own the conversation. Nobody’s bank balance should decide who gets to speak or which suffering we’re allowed to acknowledge.
I love Ed, and I’m grateful for everything we’ve shared. That hasn’t changed. But I can’t put these words out into the world and carry on with this tour as things stand. We’re withdrawing from the remaining dates.
I’m sorry we won’t be there. This is a difficult decision, but it’s one I need to stand by.”
“We have made the decision to depart as Ed Sheeran’s band on the remaining US Loop tour, following the silencing of Macklemore by zionist lobbies. We are a traditional Irish band who never saw ourselves playing in stadiums of that size and that opportunity is not lost on us. We have been friends with Ed for over 10 years now and will continue to be. We believe in dialogue as a means of progressing the plight of the Palestinian people.
As musicians, playing to those crowds every night is the stuff of dreams but to play in venues that silence anyone advocating for a Free Palestine is simply not an option for us.
It’s important that everyone knows that the real enemy is the zionist lobby. They have worked tirelessly to silence artists who want to speak freely about a genocide happening before our eyes, for fear of retribution.
Research how much Robert Kraft has done to fight the BDS movement. That will give you a sense of what we’ve all been up against.
We were there for Macklemore’s performance and speech. We fully supported his message, so did most of the audience in Met Life Stadium which terrifies the lobbies. Go back and read the transcript if you’re in doubt.
We are Irish people who understand colonialism. As founding members of the Irish Artists For Palestine movement we are committed activists for justice and will continue to be. This whole episode is once again serving to distract from the real issue, over 1000 Palestinians have been killed since the most recent so-called ceasefire.
“Following the decision for Macklemore to be dropped from the Loop Tour, we feel it is important to be clear about where we stand.
Our time on the Loop Tour has already come to an end. Our last show was at the MetLife stadium where we witnessed Macklemore’s speech.
We stand unequivocally behind every word he said. Our support is with the people of Palestine, with the artists who have made the difficult decision to step away from the tour and with anybody that speaks up against Zionist lobbying groups.
Ní saoirse go saoire an Phalastín [There is no freedom until Palestinians are free].
The British singer-songwriter Myles Smith had previously supported Sheeran on the tour but had no upcoming dates issued a nine-page statement to Instagram. That statement reads in part:
“For everyone asking me to drop out of Ed’s tour, let’s get something straight: I’m not on that tour anymore. This is not me protecting a slot, a cheque, or an opportunity. I have absolutely no need to say anything here.
I could have stayed silent, coasted along, or asked my PR to write something clean and careful. But f*** that. I am not that guy, and I will never be that guy. I am a man of values before I am an artist…
What Palestinians are enduring is devastating and impossible to look away from. No child, no family, no innocent person should have to live under bombing, displacement, hunger, grief or fear.”
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Daniel Orton and Geoffrey Rowland.
