Ed Sheeran's Gillette Stadium Shows Canceled Amid Nor'easter
Ed Sheeran's concerts at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough were called off due to severe weather warnings, following the removal of opening act Macklemore over his political remarks.
Ed Sheeran's performances scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, have been canceled because of a nor'easter affecting the East Coast. The tour promoter, Messina Touring Group, said the decision was made after consulting local officials and cited safety concerns for fans and staff.
The cancellation follows the removal of rapper Macklemore from the Loop Tour lineup. Macklemore had faced criticism after making "Free Palestine" statements at two MetLife Stadium shows earlier in September. Stadium owner Robert Kraft said Macklemore's remarks constituted hate speech and that the venue could not provide a platform for such content. Kraft added that the decision was not intended to diminish the suffering of Palestinians but to protect the Jewish community from offensive rhetoric.
Messina Touring Group confirmed that venue owners had indicated they would not allow concerts to proceed with Macklemore on the bill, leading to his removal from the tour on September 14. Other opening acts, including Finneas O’Connell, Lukas Graham, Beoga and Aaron Rowe, have also withdrawn.
"Due to the severe weather warnings in place in Boston and across New England throughout the weekend and following consultation with local officials, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the Ed Sheeran concerts at Gillette Stadium," the promoter said.
"Gillette Stadium has a longstanding commitment to providing a welcoming environment for all guests and ensuring that events held at our venue do not provide a platform for hate speech," Robert Kraft said in a statement.
The shows were expected to draw hundreds of thousands of fans, but the combination of weather concerns and venue restrictions led to the cancellation.