Ed Sheeran has turned hit songs and stadium tours into a multimillion-dollar fortune. From “Shape of You” to “Perfect,” the British singer-songwriter has built a career that places him among music’s biggest commercial successes.
Now, his Loop Tour is making headlines after Macklemore’s removal from the lineup and other opening acts’ departures in solidarity with the rapper. As the controversy unfolds, here’s a closer look at Sheeran’s net worth, how much his tours bring in and more.
How Much Money Does Ed Sheeran Make From Touring?
Sheeran’s tours generate hundreds of millions of dollars in ticket sales. His Mathematics Tour grossed $875.7 million across 188 shows from 2022 to 2025, while his Divide Tour brought in $776.4 million between 2017 and 2019, according to Billboard.
That puts the Mathematics Tour’s average gross at approximately $4.7 million per show.
What Is Ed Sheeran’s Net Worth?
Sheeran has built a fortune to match his chart-topping career. Celebrity Net Worth estimates the “The A Team” hitmaker is worth $400 million.
What Did Ed Sheeran Do? His 2026 Tour Controversy Explained
The controversy began during Macklemore’s opening sets for Sheeran at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on September 4 and 5, 2026. The rapper voiced support for Palestinians and performed “Hind’s Hall.” During the second show, he said his criticism of Israel was not directed at Jewish people.
Pink weighed in before Macklemore was removed, sharing a post criticizing his performance. On September 11, the “Raise Your Glass” singer addressed the backlash in a lengthy statement, explaining that his remarks had frightened her as a Jewish woman.
“Not ‘Free Palestine,’ and not anyone’s right to say it. I have never asked for another artist to be silenced and I’m not asking now. I don’t need anyone fired, and I don’t need a refund,” she wrote.
On September 14, Macklemore announced his removal from the remaining U.S. dates. He alleged that Sheeran had told him New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whose company owns Gillette Stadium, had barred him from performing there and rallied other stadium owners to do the same.
“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,” Macklemore wrote.
Kraft defended the Gillette decision in a statement, saying the stadium would “not provide a platform for hate speech” and citing what he characterized as a history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery. The tour’s promoter, Messina Touring Group, said in its own statement that venues had refused to host the shows.
“As the concert promoter for Ed Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour, we have been notified by venues on the upcoming U.S. tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup,” the promoter said.
Sheeran responded on September 15, writing on Instagram that the call had not been his.
“Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter’s decision, it was not mine. Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me,” he wrote.
Later that day, Aaron Rowe, Lukas Graham and Finneas withdrew from their upcoming opening slots in solidarity with Macklemore. Beoga, who performed during Sheeran’s sets, also left the tour.
What’s the Latest on the Macklemore Controversy?
The fallout carried into November. On Friday, November 6, 2026, Macklemore took to Instagram to say that nine major U.S. arenas had declined to host his separate Free Palestine Tour, a benefit run he launched after leaving the Loop Tour.
“The doors were closed. The conversations were all different, but the result was the same. The shows were not going to be allowed to happen in these venues. In over twenty years of touring, I’ve never experienced anything like this. But this is not an isolated incident. For decades, activists, poets, writers, musicians and entertainers who have stood in solidarity with the Palestinian people have faced consequences for doing so. Many have paid a far greater price than I have,” Macklemore wrote.
A representative for Madison Square Garden pushed back on his claim in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
“We have some of the busiest venues in the world with extremely limited availability and he’s not an arena level act,” the representative said.
Representatives for the other eight arenas did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Sheeran has not added public comment since his September statement.