From Rolling Stone · Tim Chan · · 1m 30s
Ed Sheeran's tour plagued by unsold seats and controversy
Thousands of tickets remain available for the Loop Tour, with prices plummeting to $65 as opening acts withdraw over a Palestine speech dispute.
In brief
Thousands of tickets remain available for the Loop Tour, with prices plummeting to $65 as opening acts withdraw over a Palestine speech dispute. Ed Sheeran's 2026 Loop Tour is struggling to sell out venues, a stark contrast to his previous Mathematics Tour, due to controversy over opening act Macklemore's…
Sheeran's tour losing steam with unsold seats
Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour has thousands of available seats for remaining dates, a sharp contrast to his sold-out Mathematics Tour that ended in 2025.
Macklemore removed after Palestine comments
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft pressured organizers to remove opening act Macklemore from the Gillette Stadium show after he expressed pro-Palestine views on stage.
Other artists withdraw in solidarity
Finneas and Lukas Graham have dropped out of the tour in support of Macklemore and free speech, adding to the tour's mounting problems.
Ticket prices plummet across platforms
Ticketmaster shows seats starting at $87, but resellers offer much steeper discounts. StubHub has the lowest prices at $65 for Philadelphia shows, while SeatGeek offers Indianapolis tickets for $66.
Sheeran blames promoter for Macklemore decision
Sheeran said he spent the week trying to find a solution but blamed Messina Touring Group, claiming they were under pressure from venues to remove Macklemore.
“I have spent this week trying to build bridges, to find a solution, and unfortunately, was unable to do so.”
Silver lining for budget-conscious fans
While artists are dropping out and some fans are canceling, ticket prices have never been lower for seeing Sheeran perform live on this tour.
Here's the gist
Ed Sheeran's 2026 Loop Tour is struggling to sell out venues, a stark contrast to his previous Mathematics Tour, due to controversy over opening act Macklemore's pro-Palestine comments and subsequent artist withdrawals.
