Ed Sheeran suffers huge concert blow after supporting acts quit in solidarity with Macklemore
'Thousands' of tickets for Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour in the US are still unsold while resellers are listing tickets below face value, according to new reports.
The ‘Thinking Out Loud’ singer began his US leg back in June in Glendale, Arizona. He has stopped across the US and Canada and there are currently nine dates left to go before the USA leg wraps on 7 November in Tampa, Florida.
In recent days, however, the tour has been at the centre of controversy after Sheeran’s opening acts all withdrew from future dates. This came after Macklemore, who was one of his openers, was dropped from the lineup after expressing a pro-Palestine stance during his set.
The rapper also performed his protest song 'Hind's Hall' while images relating to the destruction in Gaza were shown on the screens of the stadium.
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In an Instagram post announcing that he’d been pulled from the tour, Macklemore wrote: “I’m going to speak from the heart and share the truth. Ed Sheeran and his team have made the decision to remove me from The Loop tour.
“But before I get into it, I want to say something that should be obvious. In this moment, I think it matters. I am not a victim. Ed Sheeran is not a victim. Pink is not a victim. We have careers, money, opportunities, safety and audiences around the world.”
He added: “The victims are the Palestinian people. The men, women and children who have been killed, starved, displaced and forced to live through unimaginable violence.
“More than 20,000 children have been killed in Gaza alone. People are being killed today, and people will be killed tomorrow. I want to make sure that as I tell this story, we don’t lose sight of that.”
Sheeran shared his own statement and said that he is ‘appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine’ and ‘the suffering and pain caused on both sides is a human tragedy’.
He insisted that Macklemore's removal from the tour was not his own decision, but that of his promoters.
The musician said that venues hosting the upcoming shows had told him they would no longer allow the concerts to take place if Macklemore remained on the bill.
The singer wrote: “I am not complicit. I have my personal views on this devastating conflict. Just because I choose not to speak publicly, it doesn't mean I don't have them, and it doesn't mean I don't care.
"Nor does it mean I don't support causes in my own, personal way."
Ticketmaster shows many available seats for the upcoming tour dates, however it’s not uncommon for shows to sell out closer to the date they take place. But according to reports by Rolling Stone, there are still 'thousands' seats for the upcoming shows, including for the next tour stop which takes place in a matter of days. According to the publication, at the time of writing, there are tickets starting from $87 for the final show in Tampa.
According to the music publication's report on September 17, the lowest prices for Sheeran's tickets online are on the reselling platform StubHub, with Section 200 seats available from just $65 for the Philadelphia concert.
Sheeran is scheduled to perform on 19 September in Philadelphia, his first since the controversy began.
Tyla has contacted representatives for Ed Sheeran for further comment.
Greg Harris