Ed Sheeran's opener contest is flooded with pro-Palestine entries
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- Pro-Palestinian supporters flooded Guitar Center’s contest to select an opening act for Ed Sheeran in Mexico City.
- The company said submissions it deemed illegitimate would not be considered for the prize.
Guitar Center’s contest to select an opening act for Ed Sheeran has become an outlet for pro-Palestinian supporters amid growing controversy surrounding the singer’s tour.
The company’s “Open for Legends” contest, which offers the winner a slot opening for Sheeran in Mexico City, received a wave of pro-Palestinian submissions. Some of the entries briefly appeared on the contest page before being removed.
Read more: Ed Sheeran contest deadline of October 7 draws irony amid Palestine tour fallout
Guitar Center told TMZ that the submissions would not be considered, saying: “As with any open submission process, we received entries that were not legitimate applications to participate in the program.”
The company said the contest had been in development for months and predates the backlash surrounding the removal of rapper Macklemore from Sheeran’s Loop Tour.
That controversy has continued to grow, with opening acts Aaron Rowe and Finneas, as well as Sheeran’s backing band Beoga, withdrawing from the tour in solidarity with Palestinians.
Guitar Center maintains that its contest is unrelated to the dispute. However, the timing of the submissions provided a platform for supporters seeking to use the competition to express their views on the situation in Palestine.
The company said it is continuing to review and filter out submissions it considers illegitimate as it searches for the eventual opening act.
