As Ed Sheeran returns to Atlanta, 6 things to know about the controversy

Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour has swiftly become the top trending concert in the world over the past three weeks. And not for anything music-related.

At the Sept. 4 stop at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, opening act Macklemore echoed calls to “Free Palestine” amid the Israel-Gaza conflict and performed his protest anthem “Hind’s Hall.” The actions resulted in his departure from the tour, after only performing two shows. Ed Sheeran’s promoter, Messina Touring Group, announced the news to Rolling Stone in a Sept. 14 article.

“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, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans,” Messina exclusively told Rolling Stone about the removal.

Since then, more drama has followed: Macklemore blamed Sheeran’s “apolitical” nature and pressure from Robert Kraft (owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts) for his exit; Sheeran’s Instagram statement fueled more backlash; the tour’s remaining performers (openers Finneas, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe, along with Sheeran’s backing band Beoga) left in support of Macklemore; Kraft promised a $2 million donation to “aid in the region” (not naming a specific beneficiary) and Macklemore announced a Free Palestine Tour.

As Ed Sheeran heads to Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday (check back on Sunday morning for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s review of the show). Here are answers to six burning questions around the show.

Is Ed Sheeran still performing in Atlanta?

Yes. Doors open at 6 p.m., and Sheeran will perform at 8 p.m. On Saturday morning, Mercedes-Benz Stadium announced a “special guest” is expected to open the show at 7 p.m. When reached via text by the AJC, a rep for the venue declined to share who the performer is.

The Atlanta show will be Sheeran’s first tour stop with an opening act since last month’s controversy. During a Sept. 19 Philadelphia show, he apologized for “making mistakes” and said he wants his shows to be about “humanity not politics.” That show’s start was pushed back from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. He was slated to perform at Gillette Stadium Sept. 25 and 26, but the shows were canceled because of weather conditions.

Saturday’s concert will be his first in Atlanta since 2023’s “Mathematics” tour.

Can I still get tickets?

Yes. Many standard tickets are still available, including floor seats. Prices range from $35-300, per Ticketmaster’s website.

What about refunds?

Some Reddit users have stated they were able to get refunds for Saturday’s show, although no official announcement has been made. If a show is canceled, Ticketmaster’s general policy is for refunds to be distributed to the original payment method within 14-21 days. For any other reasons, “event organizers determine refund policies,” a rep for the ticketing giant said via email to the AJC.

Neither Messina Touring Group nor its parent company AEG Presents responded to the AJC’s request about a refund policy.

Last week, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell ordered Ticketmaster to permit refunds for those no longer wanting to attend Ed Sheeran’s Boston shows, which were later canceled. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr couldn’t be immediately reached by the AJC when inquiring whether a similar decision would be enacted or if they’ve received calls to do so.

Did Mercedes-Benz Stadium object to Macklemore performing?

Unclear. Ed Sheeran, Macklemore and Messina Touring Group stated that venue owners prompted the decision.

“The only thing I can confirm is the lineup change for Atlanta,” a Mercedes-Benz Stadium rep told the AJC via email when asked whether they objected to Macklemore as an opener. “For any other comment, the tour has asked for you to reach out to them directly.”

Messina Touring Group didn’t respond to the AJC’s multiple requests for comment.

If they did, could Macklemore sue the venue on First Amendment grounds?

Possibly. Mercedes-Benz Stadium is owned by the state via Georgia World Congress Center Authority. However, a potential First Amendment issue depends on whether there’s substantial evidence to support who made the decision and whether the statement warrants litigation, said longtime Atlanta entertainment attorney Bernie Lawrence-Watkins.

“If the government is the one stepping in, the question is did (the statement) incite violence, was there a threat that was made, were there statements that were sexually explicit, so there are many factors that they look at,” she said.

Lawrence-Watkins said most artists have morality clauses with tour promoters that require anyone affiliated with the show to abide by certain behavioral standards. She said if venues told the tour promoter to release Macklemore as an opener, then the promoter may be protected if such a morality clause existed.

“But if they can present evidence that the venue did it, now we have a potential issue because there are certain parameters that have to be followed,” Lawrence-Watkins said. “Just because a person made a political speech, that is not enough to remove them.”

Any protests planned?

Maybe. Atlanta photographer Aubrey Stevenson previously posted on Threads about organizing pro-Palestine protests inside and outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, but she told the AJC on Thursday the protests are no longer happening.