Ed Sheeran’s weekend concerts at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, were canceled because of an incoming nor’easter, the tour’s promoter announced. Messina Touring Group called off the shows as severe weather warnings spread across Boston and the rest of New England, ending plans for the singer’s dates at the stadium. The decision came just before the scheduled performances, upending a marquee stop on the singer’s stadium run.
The promoter laid out the reasoning in a statement. ‘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,’ Messina Touring Group said. The company added that ‘the decision was made with the safety of fans, staff and everyone involved in the shows as the top priority.’
The cancellation followed a controversy that had trailed the Gillette engagement for weeks. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft removed the rapper Macklemore from Sheeran’s tour over the artist’s public support for Palestine, a decision that drew wide attention before the shows. Kraft’s move to drop Macklemore had made the Gillette dates a talking point well before the weather turned, drawing comment from supporters and critics alike.
The disagreement then moved to charitable giving. Macklemore pledged $1 million to Palestinian aid organizations, and Sheeran committed $2 million of his own money in response. Kraft answered by challenging Sheeran to match his initial pledge, keeping the exchange between the two sides in public view in the run-up to the concerts. The back-and-forth had already given the Gillette shows a charged profile before the storm forced the promoter’s hand.
With the shows scrapped, the weather ruling closed out a run of dates that had generated headlines for reasons beyond the performances. Forecasters had expected the nor’easter to move into the East Coast beginning Friday, and the promoter acted as the warnings took hold across the region. Messina Touring Group described the call as a safety measure reached with local officials, and fans were left to wait for any word on rescheduling. The cancellation brought a difficult stretch for the Gillette Stadium booking to an end.
