Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour Fallout Shows How Promoters, Stadium Owners and Superstar Artists Share Control When a Support Act Is Dropped Midrun

CHICAGO, IL — The uproar around Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour has turned a backstage business question into a public fight: who really controls a stadium tour? After four supporting acts quit in solidarity with rapper Macklemore, who was removed from the bill after pro-Palestinian remarks at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, the conversation moved well beyond a single concert date.

Sheeran said on Instagram that the call came from the promoter and that he had no authority to reverse it. The promoter said it had no choice because venues would not allow Macklemore to perform. That clash has put a spotlight on the rarely visible chain of power that shapes big tours, especially when the headliner can sell out stadiums on name alone.

Promoters usually carry the financial load behind a stadium tour

Music business veterans who spoke to The Associated Press described the promoter as the central business operator on a large tour. At Sheeran’s level, that role often falls to a major company such as Messina Touring Group, which handles the money, the ticketing and the dealmaking with venues.

Ray Waddell, chief content director for media and conferences at Oak View Group, said the promoter is the one putting up the money, paying the acts and working out the venue arrangements. In practical terms, that means the promoter is not just an organizer but the party taking on the biggest financial risk. Still, Waddell said, promoters usually want to follow the wishes of the artist whenever possible.

Superstar headliners still expect approval over the bill

Entertainment lawyer Dean Sheldon Serwin said the general rule in live music is that the superstar headliner has the strongest approval over what happens under their name. Even in huge productions, he said, the star’s leverage comes from the fact that fans are buying tickets to see that specific performer.

Serwin said the business reality is simple: the money is made by filling seats consistently. That gives top-tier acts enormous pull, even if they still operate within a transactional relationship with promoters and venues. He said there is always some give and take when a star wants to play the rooms and stadiums they prefer, but at the end of the day, artists with Sheeran’s drawing power usually expect a meaningful say.

Support acts rarely change the fate of the whole tour

Lil Gary, a music artist manager who has also worked in tour management for the Rolling Stones and the Eagles, said she has seen touring artists care deeply about creative control and major logistical issues. But she said the details become more limited once the tour machine is running, especially for supporting acts.

In her experience, opening performers almost never decide the direction of a tour or whether it continues. She said artists of a certain stature would absolutely insist on matters like security arrangements, but smaller names on the bill typically do not have that kind of influence. Gary said the usual attitude of openers is to show up, do the job and be glad to be included.

Venue owners keep power even when they stay quiet

Venue owners are often treated as the quietest players in the system, but that does not mean they are powerless. Waddell said they can always shut the doors if they choose, even if they usually hand operational control to the promoter once a show is booked.

He said that does not mean stadium owners lose all influence. Venue operators often know the likely shape of an artist’s performance or remarks based on past appearances, and they can step in when they decide a line has been crossed. In this case, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whose Gillette Stadium remains a stop on the tour, said the decision to drop Macklemore reflected the rapper’s recent comments and what he called a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery.

Cancellation fears bring insurance and refunds into the picture

Tour cancellations are not unusual, but they are often tied to an artist’s health and are usually followed by a quick attempt to reschedule with tickets honored. That is the ideal outcome, according to Gary, though she noted that it cannot always be done.

There is no strong sign that Sheeran’s entire tour is headed for cancellation over the opening-act dispute. But if a larger breakdown did happen, insurance would become a major part of the cleanup. Gary said top artists typically carry their own coverage, while promoters have separate policies to deal with refunds and other contractual obligations. Those carriers would then sort out the losses between them.

Why the industry expects this kind of fight to get resolved

Waddell said these disputes can create blame and strain business relationships, but they usually get worked out because everyone expects to keep doing business in the future. In a touring economy built on repeat partnerships, neither artists nor promoters can afford to treat every conflict as permanent.

He also said the broader logic of live music remains unchanged, no matter how dramatic a public split may look in the moment. Sheeran’s tours are major money makers, and the business is built to keep operating year after year. In that sense, the current dispute is unusual for its visibility, but not for the underlying power struggle it reveals.

Chicago's music scene, one story at a time — Chicago Music Guide.