# 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.
- Title: Ed Sheeran's tour plagued by unsold seats and controversy
- Summary: 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…
- Keywords: ed sheeran, loop tour, ticket sales, macklemore, gillette stadium, robert kraft, palestine, finneas, lukas graham, messina touring group, ticketmaster, unsold seats
- Source: Rolling Stone — https://rollingstone.com/product-recommendations/tickets/ed-sheeran-tour-tickets-2026-cheap-seats-prices-buy-online-1235627439
- Author: Tim Chan
- Published: 2026-09-16T16:55:05+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: ed sheeran, loop tour, ticket sales, macklemore, gillette stadium, robert kraft, palestine, finneas, lukas graham, messina touring group, ticketmaster, unsold seats
## 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.
## Key takeaway

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.