Ed Sheeran’s Instagram follower count drops by roughly the mid–hundreds of thousands following controversy around Macklemore’s participation in Sheeran’s tour. NME reports a loss of about 200,000 followers, while The Independent reports a drop of about 150,000.
At the same time, Macklemore’s follower count rises sharply. The Independent says Macklemore gains more than 750,000 followers after he announces he was dropped from Sheeran’s tour, while NME reports gains of over 1.6 million. The outlets also link the follower shifts to wider online backlash that includes commentary related to Palestine.
Additional artists referenced by NME—FINNEAS, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga—also see follower increases after being dropped from the tour, suggesting a broader pattern of changes in audience attention rather than a single-artist effect. While the exact follower numbers differ between outlets, all reporting focuses on the contrast between Sheeran’s declining Instagram following and Macklemore’s rapid growth amid the tour controversy.
