Guitar Center Contest Derailed by Protests Against Ed Sheeran

The timing of the competition, which offers a $15,000 prize and a slot at Sheeran’s December 11 show in Mexico City, proved incendiary. Following Macklemore’s removal by the Messina Touring Group, the submission portal was flooded with entries featuring memes, anti-Sheeran messages, and links to Palestine advocacy groups. Guitar Center has since moved to scrub the site of non-musical content, stating that the contest was planned months in advance and is not a response to the tour’s recent personnel crisis.

Sheeran’s Loop Tour faces significant instability, with several other acts—including Finneas, Lukas Graham, and Aaron Rowe—withdrawing in solidarity with Macklemore. The band Beoga, Sheeran’s longtime collaborators, also departed, citing their role in the Irish Artists for Palestine movement. Despite the mass exodus of supporting acts, Sheeran has maintained that the decision to fire Macklemore rested solely with the promoter. He stated that his concerts are not intended as political forums, and current reports indicate he will finish the remaining 17 tour dates as a solo performer.