Fact Check: Is Oliver Anthony replacing Macklemore as Ed Sheeran's opening act?

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Amid the controversy surrounding Macklemore’s removal from Ed Sheeran's tour, a social media post claims that popular singer Oliver Anthony is replacing Macklemore as Sheeran’s opening act. The claim has sparked backlash against the American singer and prompted a fact-check of the post.

Claim: Oliver Anthony to replace Macklemore

According to a viral post that appeared on X, Sheeran’s tour manager says Oliver Anthony, who lit up the charts with his blockbuster hit “Rich Men North of Richmond,” will replace Macklemore as Sheeran’s opening act.

“Oliver’s message is about being a common man in a divided country. He doesn’t take sides on politics, which is exactly what Ed is looking for,” the tour manager allegedly said. 

The post further claims that Anthony will play a 40-minute set to open for Sheeran, starting at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, this weekend. 

The post has garnered hundreds of thousands of views as of this writing, drawing mixed reactions from online users.

While many slammed the 34-year-old singer for his involvement, others seem excited for the program, suggesting that many believe the claim is true. A few remained skeptical, prompting a fact-check.

Fact Check: No official announcement to support the claim

The claim, however, is false, as there is no official confirmation that Anthony is replacing Macklemore as Sheeran's opening act.

No official statements, announcements, or social media posts from Sheeran or his team mention the replacement. 

If the claim were true, it would not go unreported, given the controversy surrounding Macklemore’s removal.

The above quote attributed to the English singer’s manager is also fake and fabricated, as it did not yield any credible search results.

Moreover, the claim originated from an account that is not credible and, though not explicitly a parody account, has posted similar fake and unverified claims, likely intended as satire.

Macklemore's removal from Ed Sheeran's tour

Macklemore was removed from the rest of Sheeran’s stadium tour after several venues allegedly stated that they would not allow the American rapper to perform for making several onstage statements in support of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and calling for a “free Palestine.”  

Following his removal, Macklemore said, “A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: ‘Free Palestine.’”