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Ed Sheeran tour fallout continues after Macklemore was dropped

musicSep 18, 2026811,343

Ed Sheeran removed pro-Palestinian rapper Macklemore from the remaining U.S. dates of his Loop Tour after Macklemore said "Free Palestine" onstage, touching off a wider crisis in which all of Sheeran's opening acts have quit in solidarity. Fans interviewed by the BBC said they were split about attending; Damien Given, who has tickets for Saturday's Philadelphia show, said he was "still torn" while longtime fan Patti Ann backed Sheeran's decision and plans to attend in October. Secondary fallout includes falling ticket resale prices for Sheeran's remaining U.S., Mexico and South America dates and public calls for boycotts; some fans have sought refunds and at least one Ticketmaster refund request was denied. Sheeran has said he is "appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine" but refused to turn his shows into a political forum and said he was not responsible for Macklemore's removal. Some ticket-holders say the tour is no longer the show they paid for and want refunds; others cite contractual or financial obligations as reasons to stick with their tickets. The controversy makes Saturday's Philadelphia date Sheeran's first performance since the dispute escalated and leaves the tour facing ongoing reputational and logistical fallout.

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