Ed Sheeran Plays Philadelphia Show as Ticket Prices Drop 40% After Macklemore Row
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Sep 19
Ed Sheeran Plays Philadelphia Show as Ticket Prices Drop 40% After Macklemore Row
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Sep 19
Summary
Philadelphia hosts Ed Sheeran’s first concert since Macklemore was removed from the tour, with pro-Palestinian groups planning protests outside Lincoln Financial Field.
Nearly 40% of resale value for Saturday’s show has evaporated in three days, TicketData said, while thousands of seats remain available and the start time was pushed back to 20:00 after all opening acts quit.
Macklemore was dropped on 14 September after pro-Palestinian stage remarks prompted venue pressure; promoter Messina Touring Group said some stadiums would cancel Sheeran dates if he stayed on the bill.
Sheeran said the decision was his promoter’s, not his own, and defended keeping politics off his professional platform, while some fans accused him of lacking transparency and others said he faced a no-win situation.
The fallout has spread beyond one concert: support acts including Finneas and Lukas Graham exited the tour, and Ireland’s Classic Hits Radio pulled Sheeran’s music after listener complaints.