Ed Sheeran hit with ticket sales humiliation amid spiraling Macklemore 'Free Palestine' tour drama

Ed Sheeran's tour has suffered a humiliating blow at the box office as the drama over Macklemore's 'Free Palestine' remarks continues to escalate.

His concert this Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia is his first gig since Macklemore was officially booted from the remainder of Sheeran's LOOP Tour on Monday, igniting a controversy that appears to have taken a heavy toll on ticket sales.

Hours before showtime, hundreds of tickets are still available for purchase from $51 to $234 in the main seating levels, according to StubHub.

Meanwhile scores of tickets remain up for grabs in the Pit, which is located directly in front of the stage, from $229 to $298.

Sheeran, 35, whose protegees Katseye also unfollowed the star, could see attendance affected by the pro-Palestine protests planned outside his Philadelphia concert as well.

The Daily Mail has contacted Sheeran's representative for comment. 

Following his onstage speech at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Macklemore shared on Instagram that Sheeran had told him that Robert Kraft - who owns the Gillette Stadium through his holding company, the Kraft Group - called him.

'Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium. Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues,' he wrote.

Macklemore admitted that his friend 'was in a f***** up position. He knew it.'

The Can't Hold Us rap artist added: 'I hope this isn't the end of my relationship with Ed. Thirteen years of friendship doesn't disappear because of one painful disagreement.'

Sheeran has faced scathing criticism from other singers and musicians including Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters, who bashed him on social media for not taking a stronger stand against the decision.

Billie Eilish's brother, Finneas, pulled out of his scheduled appearances on Sheeran's upcoming tour dates, stating that 'artists must not be silenced when they speak up for the oppressed.'

Tour openers including Aaron Rowe and the band Lukas Graham, along with Sheeran's long-time backing folk band Beoga, also withdrew from the tour.

On Tuesday, Sheeran released his own statement on Instagram, saying it wasn’t his decision to remove Macklemore from the tour, but the promoters'.

'I would never let down the fans who had made plans, nor would I abandon the touring crew and the other support acts and musicians who rely on me for work and to make a living,' the British singer-songwriter added.

Macklemore, 43, whose real name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, was dropped from the remainder of Sheeran’s LOOP Tour after sparking backlash with his ‘Free Palestine’ speech earlier this month.

Several major US venues notified tour promoters they would not allow the Thrift Shop hitmaker to perform on their stages, per Rolling Stone.

The drama started when Macklemore used his opening set to chant 'Free Palestine' and deliver a politically motivated speech.

Macklemore stated that every human being deserves the same freedom, and told the crowd he wanted people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank to know they had not been forgotten.

He then performed his protest song Hind's Hall while images of the devastation in Gaza were projected on the big screens at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Macklemore also faced a boycott petition calling for his removal from Sheeran's tour for the blunt and direct language he used onstage.

He was the opening act for Sheeran's LOOP Tour on two consecutive nights, September 4 and September 5, at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium.

Macklemore has also previously voiced support for Palestinians and called out Israel's conduct in Gaza and the occupied West Bank and has continued doing so for years.

As seen in fan-taken footage, he wore a keffiyeh at one point during his set.

During his performance, he said he had a message to share with the Palestinian people and wanted them to know 'they have not been forgotten.’

He said: 'One of the reasons why I wanted to come on this tour was because I wanted to stand up here on stages in stadiums across America and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: Free Palestine. I said, Free Palestine!

‘I want those words to be loud and clear so that people from Gaza, all the way to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten them.’

Macklemore also added: 'I believe that every human being walking on this earth deserves exactly the same freedom, to know safety and peace before knowing the sounds of violence.'

During his speech, he referred to ICE as a 'terrorist organization' before shouting: 'Free Palestine' and 'Free Cuba, Congo, Sudan and Iran.’

The Israeli-American Council drew up a petition insisting he should be dropped from the remaining dates of Sheeran's tour.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Macklemore's representatives for comment.

It wasn't known how many signatures the petition collected.

The group's petition read: 'This was an Ed Sheeran concert – not a political rally, not a protest, and not an activist event. The issue is not whether Macklemore has the right to hold political views.

'The question is where the line should be drawn when an opening act uses a global concert platform to advance a one-sided political agenda.’

Fan reaction was split on social media after the two shows, with some defending his onstage war comments as others accused him of anti-Semitic rhetoric.

Pink also weighed in on Macklemore's recent controversy, amid calls from fans for the rapper to be removed from the tour.

The singer, 47, reposted an Instagram Story from StopAntisemitism, which slammed Macklemore's performance.

The caption on the post read: 'Awful - Jewish fans bought tickets to see Ed Sheeran sing last night in NJ, not to be ambushed by Macklemore's anti-Israel propaganda.

'Instead, Macklemore walked onstage in a keffiyeh, shouted 'Free Palestine,' accused Israel of a false 'genocide,' and turned a mainstream event into a political nightmare against the Jewish state. Concert-goers are owed apologies and refunds.’

The Daily Mail has also reached out to representatives for Pink and Sheeran for comment but has yet to hear back.