Ed Sheeran’s Macklemore Apology Fails as Concert Ticket Prices Tumble - Newsweek

Despite a tearful apology during his Philadelphia concert on Saturday, the woes don’t seem to be over for Ed Sheeran as data shows resale ticket prices for his upcoming shows have plummeted.

Backlash against Sheeran has continued over Macklemore being dropped from his Loop Tour, and TicketData shows the cheapest resale tickets for Sheeran's upcoming Gillette Stadium concerts in Foxborough, Massachusetts, have fallen 14 percent and 15 percent respectively over the past three days.

Meanwhile, a pro-Palestinian demonstration is also being planned outside the venue of his upcoming show by The Massachusetts Peace Action. A poster for the event reads: “Stop billionaire censorship at Gillette. Stop the genocide in Palestine. Stop the war against Iran.”

The next two dates on Sheeran's Loop Tour are scheduled for Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The venue's owner, Robert Kraft, is also the owner of the New England Patriots and has become one of the country's most prominent advocates against antisemitism through his Foundation to Combat Antisemitism. Kraft, who is Jewish, was among several venue owners who objected to Macklemore remaining on the tour following the rapper's pro-Palestinian remarks.

Macklemore was removed from the tour following a two-minute speech on 4 September at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, during which he repeatedly chanted "Free Palestine." The remarks prompted objections from a number of venue operators on the tour route, including Kraft. Macklemore was subsequently dropped from the remaining dates, a decision Sheeran has said was made by venues and promoters rather than by him.

But data on TicketData shows that tickets prices for the singer's first concerts following his on-stage apology have dropped by more than 10 percent in recent days, while TicketMaster still has hundreds of available tickets on both days.

TicketData currently lists the cheapest available seats at $78 and $89 for the September 25 and 26 shows, meaning Foxborough is currently one of the least expensive remaining stadium stops on the tour.

Other supporting acts, including Finneas, Danish band Lukas Graham and Irish folk band Beoga, withdrew from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore. This left Sheeran playing last week’s concerts solo at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.

Prices similarly dropped on TicketData for last week’s shows at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, with a single ticket dropping by 45 percent to $75 as of midday on Friday.

Keith Pagello, founder of TicketData.com, previously told Newsweek that it is not unusual to see a decline in price in the days leading up to any event, but he added that the drop for the upcoming Philadelphia show was “clearly pushing the edge of what you'd normally expect.”

The planned protest outside of Ed Sheeran’s concert on Saturday at the Foxborough Gillette Stadium is part of he statewide Stop the Madness in Washington movement, protesting foreign policy and U.S. involvement in conflicts, economic equality and domestic policies including ICE raids and climate issues.

Within their announcement, organizers The Massachusetts Peace Action (MAPA) added: “The Foxborough action will also focus on the controversy surrounding Ed Sheeran’s concerts at Gillette Stadium.

“For organizers of the Foxborough demonstration, the controversy raises another issue that fits directly into the broader September 26 mobilization: the growing power of billionaires and powerful institutions to shape both our politics and the boundaries of public debate.”

Newsweek reached out to MAPA via email for comment.

During his Philadelphia concert last week, Sheeran became emotional while addressing criticism surrounding the tour and his decision to continue after Macklemore's removal, telling fans he never intended to hurt anyone.

"I've had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I'm so, so sorry," he told concertgoers.

He added that he never wanted to become an activist musician, and that his fans were his priority as he continued with the tour despite losing his support acts.

"I honestly am so grateful that you're here tonight with me. This concert is still a place where everyone is welcome," he said.

Before the end of the show, Sheeran went on to apologize for his apology, telling the crowd: “I understand that people have children here. And I understand that families didn't buy a ticket to hear that first bit of the show, but that was something that I felt like I needed to say,” before adding: “I felt like there were a lot of questions that I needed to answer.”

Update 9/22/26, 09:04 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.