Ed Sheeran walks on stage in Philadelphia on Saturday with more at stake than a normal tour stop. His North American run has been shaken by a row over Macklemore. Resale prices for Sheeran’s shows have fallen. Prices for a Macklemore solo date have gone up. Sheeran’s team is reportedly asking whether the tour should go on.
The trouble started in early September at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Macklemore was opening for Sheeran on the Loop Tour. During his set, he said “free Palestine” to the crowd. He introduced a protest song and showed footage from Gaza on the screen behind him.
Then he also addressed Jewish fans. He said that criticising Israel is not an attack on Jewish people. Critics reacted fast. An Israeli-American group started a petition to have him removed from the bill.
Days later, Macklemore said he had been dropped from the remaining US dates. He blamed stadium owners. He said they threatened to cancel shows if he stayed.
The role of Robert Kraft
Robert Kraft owns the New England Patriots. His company also owns Gillette Stadium, where Sheeran is due to play. Kraft confirmed he barred Macklemore from that venue. He did not confirm that he pushed other venues to do the same. Macklemore says he did.
The Financial Times reported that Kraft warned Sheeran about other NFL owners. According to people familiar with the matter, he said they could cancel shows if Macklemore stayed on the bill. Promoter Messina Touring Group gave a similar reason for the removal. It said some venues would pull Sheeran’s dates.
Sheeran then asked Kraft to give $2 million toward aid in the region. Kraft says he agreed. Macklemore had already pledged $1 million of his own tour pay to Palestinian relief. He challenged Kraft to match it.
Sheeran speaks
Sheeran posted a statement on Instagram. He said he had spoken with venues at length during the week. He said he tried to build a bridge. Also, he said he was appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
And, he held to his long-standing rule of staying out of politics. His reasoning was his audience. Many of his fans are young, he said, including children from all backgrounds. He added that he was not the one who removed Macklemore.
Macklemore was not harsh toward him in public. He said Sheeran was in a bad spot. He said the singer could not get past his public line of not taking sides.
The openers walk out
Sheeran’s post did not calm things. Within hours, four supporting acts quit. They were Aaron Rowe, Finneas, the Danish band Lukas Graham and the Irish group Beoga.
Rowe was blunt. He said he could not stand by while billionaires used their power to silence people. Finneas said artists should not be shut down for speaking up for oppressed people.
The exits left Sheeran with no support acts on the North American leg. Fans who bought tickets for a full bill now get a much smaller show.
Fans are split
Ticket holders are divided. The BBC spoke to several of them.
Damien Given is from Northern Ireland and holds tickets for Philadelphia. He is torn. He thinks Macklemore was treated very wrongly. And, he also thinks Sheeran has not been open with fans. Also, he pointed out that Sheeran spoke out on Ukraine, so the claim of being non-political sounds hollow to him.
Given’s feelings are also personal. Sheeran’s song “Thinking Out Loud” was the first dance at his wedding. His wife Kellie had ALS and died in 2024. That memory is a big reason he is still thinking about going.
Heather Park came for the headliner. She said Macklemore was a bonus. She thinks his removal was unfair and a free speech issue. But she still likes the music and plans to enjoy it.
Some fans want refunds. They say the show is no longer the one they paid for.
The fallout has also crossed the Atlantic. Classic Hits Radio in Ireland said it would drop Sheeran’s music from its playlists. It cited listener disappointment and concern. Sheeran grew up in England but says he feels culturally Irish.
What happened to ticket prices
The clearest numbers come from resale sites.
Forbes tracked the Philadelphia show at Lincoln Financial Field. On TickPick, the cheapest ticket fell from about $100 on Tuesday to $51 on Friday. That is close to a 50% drop. On StubHub, the cheapest ticket was $42 on Friday afternoon. TickPick also saw available tickets rise by 54% over the same days.
TicketData looked at the wider tour. Its founder, Keith Pagello, said prices for the remaining dates have fallen by up to 45%. Cheapest tickets now range from $74 to $426. Nine of the ten remaining venues saw prices go down. The only stop with no change was Arlington, Texas, on October 24.
Pagello added a caution. Prices often slide as a show gets closer. Before the row, the 17 earlier shows lost an average of 22% in the last two weeks. So some of the drop is normal. He said Philadelphia was pushing the edge of what you would expect. He also noted that resales have picked up since Monday, even with lower prices.
The next stop is Foxborough, Massachusetts, on September 25. That is the Gillette Stadium date. The cheapest ticket there is about $112.
Macklemore’s prices go the other way
Macklemore’s own shows have moved in the opposite direction. His solo concert at Red Rocks in Colorado is set for October 22. The date was announced in March.
The cheapest ticket rose 45% in three days. It went from $108 to $157. TicketData says the jump would not have happened without this week’s events. Newsweek reports a 35% rise over the past week, while Sheeran’s dates for similar periods went down.
The rapper has not lost his audience. For now, he may have gained one.
Will the tour go on?
The Financial Times reports that Sheeran and his advisers have talked about whether to continue. Cancelling would cost a lot. The Loop Tour has 59 dates and is due to end in Mexico City on December 12. Through 17 shows, it had earned more than $98 million.
Sheeran has said he does not want to let down his fans or his crew. That is one reason he gave for staying on the road. For now, the schedule stands.
- Ed Sheeran
- Macklemore
