{"id":985,"date":"2026-09-17T13:03:07","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T05:03:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/btbitcoin.net\/index.php\/2026\/09\/17\/artists-promoters-and-venues-have-their-own-kind-of-power-on-troubled-tours-like-ed-sheerans\/"},"modified":"2026-09-17T13:03:07","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T05:03:07","slug":"artists-promoters-and-venues-have-their-own-kind-of-power-on-troubled-tours-like-ed-sheerans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/btbitcoin.net\/index.php\/2026\/09\/17\/artists-promoters-and-venues-have-their-own-kind-of-power-on-troubled-tours-like-ed-sheerans\/","title":{"rendered":"Artists, promoters and venues have their own kind of power on troubled tours like Ed Sheeran’s"},"content":{"rendered":"
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LOS ANGELES (AP) \u2014 Concert promoters wield great power. Venue owners can too but they rarely choose to. And artists capable of filling stadiums like Ed Sheeran usually have approval over everything that happens under their name. <\/p>\n

That’s the consensus view of music business players who talked to The Associated Press about how mammoth tours like Sheeran’s generally work. <\/p>\n

The singer’s ongoing Loop Tour is mired in chaos after four supporting acts quit in solidarity with rapper Macklemore, who was dropped for making pro-Palestinian comments onstage at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. <\/p>\n

Sheeran said on Instagram that the decision was made by the promoter, and he had no power over it. The promoter said it had no choice because venues wouldn’t allow Macklemore to perform. <\/p>\n

Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, which is among the remaining tour stops, said in a statement that the decision to drop Macklemore was a result of his recent comments “and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery.” <\/p>\n

The promoter and the artist share power <\/p>\n

The promoter is the primary business actor on a tour. At high levels, it’s a company like Messina Touring Group, the promoter of Sheeran’s tour. <\/p>\n

“The promoter puts up the money, pays all of the acts, deals with the venue. They provide the stake, sell the tickets, and the artists come on and play,” said Ray Waddell, chief content director for media and conferences for the Oak View Group, an entertainment and venue management company whose properties include the concert trade publication Pollstar. <\/p>\n

Sheeran said in his Instagram post that despite his attempts “to build a bridge” all week, “the venue’s and promoter’s decision was final.” <\/p>\n

But do promoters generally have the ultimate say for who is on the bill? <\/p>\n

“If you’re paying for everything, yes you can make that call,” Waddell said, “but almost without exception the promoter wants to do what the artists want.” <\/p>\n

Dean Sheldon Serwin, an entertainment lawyer who works in the music industry, said that broadly speaking, “at the end of the day that superstar headliner is going to have approval over everything.” <\/p>\n

And the artist’s power derives from their ability to fill arenas and stadiums. <\/p>\n

“The way to make money in the music industry for real is butts in seats, always has been, always will be,” Serwin said. “How many tickets can you sell and how consistently can you sell those tickets?” <\/p>\n

But while it may be minimal with acts on the level of Sheeran or Ariana Grande, there is still a transactional relationship. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n