Fans attending Ed Sheeran's stadium tour are seeking refunds for their tickets following the removal of opening act Macklemore. The rapper was dropped from the tour after making a "Free Palestine" speech during a recent concert in New Jersey, which led to backlash.
Social media platforms have seen an influx of complaints from concertgoers expressing their dissatisfaction. One fan directed a message to Ticketmaster on X, stating, "we purchased these tickets when @macklemore was on the setlist and we would like to cancel our tickets for a full refund please." Another user inquired if Ticketmaster would offer refunds since "all of his other opening acts dropped out in solidarity with Macklemore."
Some fans have suggested alternative actions, with one X account recommending that ticket holders "should simply not go" to the concerts. The reasoning provided was that "empty seats will impact his tour a lot more than resold tickets. It’ll affect merch sales and venue profits too." Another user noted a "surge" in Sheeran's tickets being put up for resale after Macklemore's departure from the tour.
Macklemore, 43, was removed from "The Mathematics Tour" after venue promoters reportedly stated they would not permit him to perform following his on-stage political remarks. In a statement, Macklemore claimed that Sheeran and his team made the decision to remove him, citing difficult conversations where Sheeran relayed concerns that the "Free Palestine" message and imagery were "hurtful to a lot of people he spoke with." Macklemore stated that he countered that the words were less offensive than the deaths of Palestinian children.
Sheeran, 35, responded on Instagram, asserting that the decision to remove Macklemore "was the promoter’s decision, not mine." He explained that venues threatened to cancel future shows if Macklemore continued to perform. Sheeran stated he attempted to mediate the situation, including speaking with billionaire Robert Kraft, but was unsuccessful. He emphasized that Macklemore's contract was with the promoter, not directly with him, and that he did not want to disappoint fans or impact the livelihoods of his touring crew and other musicians.
Robert Kraft, in a statement to Page Six, said that Macklemore was barred from performing at Gillette Stadium because the venue "doesn't provide a platform for hate speech." He cited Macklemore's "recent actions" and "broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery" as reasons for the decision.
Following Sheeran's statement, several of his other opening acts, including Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and Beoga, announced they were withdrawing from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore. Sheeran has ten remaining shows on the North American leg of his tour, scheduled to conclude in December.