Irish folk group Beoga has withdrawn from Ed Sheeran’s North American Loop tour in September 2026.Beoga is an Irish band consisting of five members: Damian McKee, Seán Óg Graham, Liam Bradley, Eamon Murray, and Niamh Dunne. The band has collaborated with Sheeran for over a decade and served as his backing band. They have featured on the Shape of You singer’s 2017 Galway Girl. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostAccording to a statement the band released, they framed their decision as a protest over the removal of Macklemore (whose real name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty) as the opening act and in support of Palestine. During a recent concert at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the Thrift Shop rapper repeatedly chanted “Free Palestine” onstage. Consequently, he was reportedly dropped from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour after being pressured by venue stakeholders, prompting other acts to stand in solidarity with him.Continue reading for more details.Irish folk band Beoga quits as Ed Sheeran’s backing band on remaining U.S. tour datesBeoga, the traditional Irish folk group, has withdrawn from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour dates to show solidarity with Macklemore and Palestine.The band’s official Instagram account posted a statement on the social media platform on September 15, 2026, stating their decision to depart from the tour following the “silencing of Macklemore” over his pro-Palestinian remarks. They will, however, remain friends with the artist. The statement read:“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.”In their statement, the band called out those who “tirelessly” sought to silence artists and suppress free speech when it comes to showing support for Palestine. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostA Discover Ireland report suggests that Beoga held a fundraising concert for Palestine titled A Night for Palestine at Gleneagle Arena on December 19, 2025. The concert featured special guests and performances from Amble, Beoga, Clare Sands, and Lumiere. Proceeds from the concert went to ACLAÍ Palestine and food parcel distribution for the displaced families in Gaza.The five-member band formed in 2002 includes fiddle player and vocalist, Niamh Dunne; button accordion and backing vocals player, Damian McKee; Multi-instrumentalist, Seán Óg Graham; Piano/keyboards player Liam Bradley and Bodhrán/percussion player Eamon Murray.Among them, Damian, Seán, Liam, and Eamon are the original four founding members. They came together to jam in County Antrim and County Londonderry before officially forming the band at the All-Ireland Fleadh in County Kerry. Niamh later joined the band in 2005.Besides Galway Girl, Beoga has collaborated on the track Nancy Mulligan on Ed Sheeran’s 2017 album ÷ (Divide). Their connection with Sheeran began around 2016 when their mutual friend and Northern Irish singer-songwriter Foy Vance introduced Beoga’s music to the Photograph crooner.During an interview with RTE Entertainment, Niamh Dunne recalled their first meeting and said:“Foy played Ed some Beoga tracks and when Ed was making his new album he thought it might be a good idea to get us over to record some songs with him… When we first met Ed, it was `oh my god!' because he’s so recognisable but after that, it was just like getting to know a fellow musician really. He was great craic.”Beoga backed Sheeran onstage for “Nancy Mulligan” during his 2017 Glastonbury Festival headline set. They supported him on his Irish stadium dates in 2018. Before withdrawing from Sheeran’s Loop Tour in September 2026, they served as his backing band for a dedicated mid-show segment.In addition to Beoga, many musical acts dropped out of Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour following the dismissal of Macklemore. These include Finneas, Aaron Rowe and Lukas Graham.