Ed Sheeran cancels Massachusetts concerts as nor'easter threatens New England

Ed Sheeran has canceled his concerts scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, due to severe weather warnings from an approaching nor'easter. Concert promoter Messina Touring announced the decision after consultation with local authorities, citing the safety of fans, staff, and all involved in the shows as the top priority. The National Weather Service warned of strong winds between 50 and 65 mph, heavy rain, and coastal flooding across New England, with warnings in effect through early Sunday. Ticketholders who purchased through Ticketmaster will be automatically refunded.

The cancellation marks the latest disruption to Sheeran's Loop Tour, which has been embroiled in controversy for the past two weeks. The controversy began when opening act Macklemore made on-stage pro-Palestinian comments on September 5 in New Jersey, calling for "free Palestine" and referring to the situation in Gaza. Robert Kraft, billionaire owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, publicly lobbied for Macklemore's removal, citing the comments and what he characterized as a broader pattern of antisemitic rhetoric. Sheeran stated the decision to drop Macklemore was made by the tour promoter, not by him, though the promoter indicated venue owners including Kraft would have refused to allow the concerts if Macklemore remained on the bill.

Following Macklemore's removal, several of Sheeran's supporting acts withdrew in solidarity, including Irish backing band Beoga, Irish singer Aaron Rowe, American artist Finneas, and Danish band Lukas Graham. Each cited opposition to the silencing of Macklemore's political speech. In response, Macklemore announced he would donate his $1 million tour salary to Palestinian relief organizations and invited Kraft to match the contribution. A Kraft spokesperson subsequently stated that both Kraft and Sheeran had agreed to donate $2 million each, though neither has specified which organizations would receive the funds.

Sheeran addressed the controversy at a concert in Philadelphia on Saturday, stating he wanted his shows to focus on unity and humanity rather than politics. He acknowledged the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel as horrific while characterizing the situation in Gaza as "catastrophic and unjustifiable." The nor'easter that prompted the Gillette Stadium cancellations also led to the cancellation of several other major East Coast events, including the Global Citizen, CBGB, and All Things Go festivals scheduled for New York over the same weekend.