Ed Sheeran concert tickets slashed nearly 50% after Macklemore exit

Ed Sheeran’s Philadelphia concert tickets have plummeted by nearly 50% on the secondary market in the days leading up to his September 19 show at Lincoln Financial Field, as fallout from the Macklemore “Free Palestine” controversy continues to dent demand.

According to data from secondary marketplace TickPick cited by Forbes, the cheapest single ticket for Saturday’s performance dropped to $51 by Friday morning, down from around $100 earlier in the week.

StubHub listings later showed get-in prices as low as $42.

Ticket availability for the show also surged, with TickPick recording a 54% increase in listings between Tuesday and Friday.

Newsweek, citing TicketData.com, reported a 45% drop in resale prices for the Philadelphia date to about $75 by midday Friday, with declines across nine of the remaining 10 US shows on Sheeran’s Loop Tour.

The controversy erupted in early September when Macklemore, then the opening act, used his sets at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to declare “Free Palestine.”

He told the crowd: “A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so that I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very, very dear to my heart: Free Palestine.”

He also performed his protest song “Hind’s Hall” and addressed Jewish audience members, saying criticism of ‘Israel’ is “in no way is criticism of you” and framing his message as one of “peace, love, for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and equality.”

Venues and promoters responded swiftly.

Messina Touring Group, the US tour promoter, stated that multiple stadiums had indicated they would not host shows with Macklemore on the bill, risking cancellation of remaining dates and affecting hundreds of thousands of fans.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whose Gillette Stadium is a later tour stop, confirmed he barred the rapper, citing “recent actions, material shared from the stage” and what he described as a history of rhetoric offensive to the Jewish community.

Macklemore accused Kraft of rallying other venue owners and said Sheeran told him the phrase “Free Palestine” and the Palestinian flag were “hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with.”

Sheeran broke his silence on Instagram, saying that the decision was not his. “Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine,” he wrote.
“I am appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy.”

He added that fans “do not expect a political forum” at his shows and that he would not abandon the touring crew or remaining acts who rely on the tour for their livelihoods.

In response, the other supporting acts—including Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and Irish band Beoga, who perform with Sheeran—withdrew in solidarity with Macklemore.

Finneas posted: “Artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed.”

Saturday’s Philadelphia concert marks Sheeran’s first performance since the upheaval, with no opening or supporting acts announced.

Local pro-Palestinian groups, including the Philly Palestine Coalition, planned protests outside the stadium to “return the conversation to Palestine.”

Macklemore has pledged to donate his roughly $1 million net earnings from the tour to Palestinian aid organizations and invited Kraft to match the donation.

Ticket experts noted that while last-minute price drops are common, the Philadelphia decline pushed “the edge of what you’d normally expect,” reflecting weakened demand amid the ongoing backlash.

The Loop Tour is scheduled to continue through the remaining U dates and into Latin America, though the episode has already spilled beyond the stage—Ireland’s Classic Hits Radio removed Sheeran’s music from playlists after listener complaints.