Macklemore Concert Ticket Prices Surge After Removal from Ed Sheeran's Tour

KOMPAS.com - Ticket prices for rapper Macklemore's solo concert at Red Rocks, Colorado, United States, surged after he was removed from Ed Sheeran's tour.

This ticket price hike occurred after Macklemore was dropped from the remainder of Ed Sheeran's The Loop Tour. The decision followed Macklemore's pro-Palestinian statement delivered onstage in early September 2026.

According to ticket price tracking company TicketData, secondary market prices for Macklemore’s October concert at Red Rocks have increased over the past few days.

“The get-in price, or lowest available ticket price for the show, rose 45 percent in the last three days, from 108 US dollars to 157 US dollars,” said TicketData founder Keith Pagello, as quoted by CNBC on Saturday (19/9/2026).

Pagello noted that this surge is very likely related to recent events.

“We can say with confidence that this spike wouldn’t have happened without the events of this week,” he said.

Macklemore's concert at Red Rocks had been announced since March 2026, well before his removal from Ed Sheeran’s tour.

Macklemore Removed from Ed Sheeran's Tour

Macklemore took to social media on Monday (14/9/2026) to announce he was removed from the rest of Ed Sheeran’s tour after the stadium management threatened to cancel the show following his pro-Palestinian comments.

He made the statement during his performance at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, on September 4, 2026.

On Thursday (17/9/2026), Macklemore also pledged to donate 1 million US dollars (approximately Rp 17.81 billion) earned from the tour to aid organizations supporting Palestine.

After Macklemore's departure, all other supporting performers for Ed Sheeran — Finneas, Aaron Rowe, Beoga, and Lukas Graham — also announced their withdrawal from the tour.

It remains unclear who will replace these performers.

Ed Sheeran Ticket Prices Actually Decline

Meanwhile, ticket prices for the remaining Ed Sheeran concerts have actually dropped.

TicketData reported that secondary market ticket prices fell in nine out of ten remaining Ed Sheeran tour stops. This data was collected from various resale platforms including SeatGeek, Vivid Seats, Gametime, and StubHub.

However, Pagello said the price declines are not necessarily linked to the controversy surrounding Macklemore's removal.

“Across concerts, more shows experience price drops as their dates approach than those seeing price rises,” Pagello explained.

He noted that Ed Sheeran’s North American summer tour tickets typically dropped on average 22 percent within two weeks before each show.

Pagello emphasized that ticket resale volume is a more important indicator.

“There is a clear increase in ticket resale volume. Since Monday, tickets have been selling at a slightly to moderately higher rate compared to previous tour stops at comparable times, despite ticket prices dropping,” he said.

Although more tickets are changing hands, it is still unclear how much of this increase relates to opposition or support for Ed Sheeran, or other factors.

Ticket prices for rapper Macklemore’s solo concert at Red Rocks, Colorado, United States, surged after he was removed from Ed Sheeran's tour.

Ed Sheeran Speaks Out

Ed Sheeran previously clarified that the decision to remove Macklemore from the tour was made by the promoter, not by him.

In an Instagram post on Wednesday (16/9/2026), Sheeran explained why he chooses not to openly discuss his personal political views.

“I have always used my platform and music to bring together people of different backgrounds and cultures, and that will never change,” Sheeran wrote.

“The reason I don’t use my professional platform for politics is because my audience includes youth, often children, from many different backgrounds. Those who come to my shows don’t expect a political forum,” he added.

Ed Sheeran Tour Track Record

Ed Sheeran’s tour for his eighth studio album, Play, began in New Zealand in late 2025.

The Australian leg of the tour in February 2026 became the highest-grossing tour worldwide that month, earning 70.8 million US dollars (around Rp 1.26 trillion), according to Billboard.

Sheeran has historically been one of the highest-grossing touring musicians globally.

His previous tour, which ended in 2025, grossed 875.7 million US dollars (approximately Rp 15.60 trillion) and sold 8.8 million tickets, based on Billboard data.