Ed Sheeran continues to be dogged by Palestine controversy

Ed Sheeran has changed the start time of his Philadelphia concert as the fallout from Macklemore's removal from his Loop Tour continues, with pro-Palestinian protesters also planning a demonstration outside the venue. Sheeran is scheduled to perform at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, September 19. The concert was originally scheduled to begin at 5:30pm local time, but the start time has since been moved to 8pm on Ticketmaster. The change follows the withdrawal of the tour's supporting acts, leaving Sheeran without announced opening performers for the Philadelphia show. Macklemore was removed from the remaining US dates of the tour after making pro-Palestinian comments during his performance at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium earlier this month. Sheeran has said the decision was made by the promoter after upcoming venues communicated that they would pull the shows if Macklemore remained on the line-up. Following Macklemore's departure, Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Sheeran's backing band Beoga all withdrew from the remaining dates. Beoga said it fully supported Macklemore's message, while the other departures further reshaped the remaining tour schedule. The Philadelphia concert is also expected to draw protests. Local pro-Palestinian groups have announced plans to rally outside Lincoln Financial Field ahead of the show, with organisers saying the demonstration will focus on Palestinian advocacy and concerns over the treatment of Macklemore's comments. Ticket resale prices for the Philadelphia show have also fallen as the concert approaches. Tickets that were listed at $91 on Thursday were available for as little as $66.30 on Friday, while other reporting put the cheapest available ticket at around $67. TicketData founder Keith Pagello cautioned that falling resale prices are common immediately before concerts and do not necessarily indicate an effect from the controversy. Sheeran has said he has personal views about the Israel-Palestine conflict but does not want his concerts to become political forums. He has also denied being responsible for Macklemore's removal from the tour. Macklemore's ticket prices have surged following his removal from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour after the rapper spoke publicly in support of Palestine. According to ticket-tracking company TicketData, the cheapest available ticket for Macklemore's October concert at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre rose 45% over three days, climbing from $108 to $157. TicketData founder Keith Pagello told CNBC the increase would not have happened without the events surrounding Macklemore's departure from Sheeran's tour. Macklemore was removed from the remaining US dates of Sheeran's tour after making pro-Palestinian comments during a performance at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on September 4. He later said he had been told stadium owners had threatened to cancel shows if he remained on the line-up. The fallout has also affected Sheeran's ticket market. Resale prices for nine of the 10 remaining venues on the Loop Tour have declined, according to TicketData, although Pagello cautioned that falling prices are common as concert dates approach and may not necessarily be connected to the controversy. There has, however, been an increase in resale activity for Sheeran's upcoming shows. TicketData reported that tickets have been changing hands at a higher rate than at previous tour stops at a similar point in their sales cycle. The dispute has continued to escalate, with all of Sheeran's other supporting acts, including Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga, withdrawing from the remaining dates after Macklemore's removal. Sheeran has maintained that Macklemore's departure was the promoter's decision rather than his own. Meanwhile, Macklemore announced that he would donate $1 million from his net earnings from the tour to organisations supporting Palestinians. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis's 2012 single "Thrift Shop" (featuring Wanz) became the first self-released song to top the Billboard Hot 100 in 11 years. Their second single, "Can't Hold Us" (featuring Ray Dalton), also peaked on chart, making Macklemore and Lewis the first duo in the chart's history to have their first two singles both reach the peak position. Their debut studio album The Heist (2012) peaked at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200. The duo entered into a slightly unusual three-month, one-album contract with Warner Bros.'s independent distribution arm ADA, which allowed them to retain control over their intellectual property and maintain their "artistic integrity". The ticket-market changes add a financial dimension to the growing fallout surrounding the tour, although the available data does not establish whether the shifts are directly attributable to the controversy.