Ed Sheeran hosting competition to find tour opener after all his support acts dropped out

After every single one of Ed Sheeran’s support acts dropped out of his current tour in solidarity with Macklemore, people have noticed that he’s hosting a competition for a new opener, and it’s hilariously ironic. 

Billie Eilish’s brother FINNEAS, Irish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe and Danish band Lukas Graham all dropped out after Macklemore was removed from the tour for a pro-Palestine speech he made during a show at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 4th September. 

Credit: Omar Arnau/Shutterstock

Businessman Bob Kraft, who owns the Gillette Stadium near Boston where they were due to play next, orchestrated his removal and defended his decision in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, claiming his comments were “deeply offensive towards the Jewish community” and “crossed a line”. 

On the same day that Macklemore was dropped, Guitar Center opened a competition called “Open for Legends” where the winner will get to open for Sheeran on his Loop Tour in Mexico City on 11th December. The competition launched on 14th September, and submissions are open until 8th October. 

“Open for Legends is a brand-new competition series elevating undiscovered musicians to a global platform, beginning with the chance to open for Ed Sheeran at his LOOP Tour show in Mexico City. Enter your original song by Oct. 7, and you could win a life-changing opportunity,” the website says. 

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Y’all Ed Sheeran is hosting a contest to open up for him after all his openers dropped out and the submission deadline is INSANE 😭😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/o1ctnISVn9

— eggvermifuge (@eggvermifuge) September 17, 2026

Applicants have to be 18 or over and have a valid US passport, and bands can only have up to five members. To apply, all you have to do is send in an audition video that’s up to five minutes long. The public will vote for their favourite videos, and a panel of judges will use this to whittle it down to 10 finalists and ultimately choose a winner.

The competition was obviously planned way before all of this blew up, but it’s a hilarious coincidence. I think he needs to find more than one opener now. 

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Featured image credit: Omar Arnau/Shutterstock and Guitar Center