Ed Sheeran's concerts at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, scheduled for tonight and tomorrow, have been cancelled due to severe weather. The shows were part of his Loop Tour, which had already lost rapper Macklemore as an opening act.
Weather forces cancellation
In a statement, Messina Touring announced: 'Due to the severe weather warnings in place in Boston and 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 decision was made with the safety of fans, staff and everyone involved in the shows as the top priority.' They added that refunds are available for ticket holders at their point of purchase or will be issued automatically if tickets were bought via Ticketmaster.
A representative for Robert Kraft, chairman and chief executive officer of the Kraft Group, echoed the statement, adding to TMZ that 'stadium and tour management, along with public safety officials, have been closely monitoring the weather forecast over the past week'. Insiders previously said that the approaching storm could jeopardise the back-to-back concerts, with stage construction halted yesterday. As reported by Fox Weather, the area is forecast for one to two inches of rain and 40mph winds.
Fallout from Macklemore dispute
The cancellations come after two weeks of intense scrutiny for Sheeran, who was left without support acts (Finneas O'Connell, Aaron Rowe, and Lukas Graham) or his backing band, Beoga, after all of them dropped out of the tour in solidarity with Macklemore and his 'free Palestine' message.
Real name Ben Haggerty, the Same Love hitmaker had said long-time friend Sheeran was given an 'ultimatum' by Kraft, ordering his removal from the tour, or else the Shape of You vocalist would not be allowed to play at Gillette Stadium. Macklemore, 43, who has long been vocal about his support for Palestine, was inundated with support from other major stars, and later pledged his 'entire $1million (£747k)' of net earnings from the Loop Tour to organisations working with Palestinian people.
Kraft, 85, was challenged to match the amount, and he later confirmed Sheeran asked him to match a $2m (£1.49m) donation to humanitarian aid. The New England Patriots owner said he 'believes deeply that all lives are worth protecting', and emphasised that he had 'dedicated much of [his] life to building bridges between all people'.
Sheeran's emotional response
Last weekend, Sheeran took to the stage for the first time since the row, having already faced backlash for his initial social media statement, in which he claimed he tried to reach a 'mutual resolution for all' regarding Macklemore. He said it was 'the promoter's final decision' to drop him, with Sheeran denying being 'complicit' and insisting he supports causes in his 'own personal way'. The Grammy winner also wrote that people who go to his gigs 'do not expect a political forum'.
On stage at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, he then gave a lengthy address in which he broke down in tears. Sheeran told fans he was 'so, so, sorry' for how the situation developed, admitting he was unsure if the tour would carry on. 'In these situations, you really find out who your friends are, and it's been a weird week. I just feel like it happened very quickly,' he told the crowd.
He went on to say: 'What happened in Israel and at the Nova music festival on October 7 was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate. My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians' lives, children's lives. And the systemic injustice we are seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be overlooked.' He also said he was 'deeply worried' venues would start to 'pre-approve' artists or their content.
Sheeran's speech sparked further debates online, with many accusing him of 'scripting' it, as he appeared to read from a teleprompter. Others defended his response, with the star revealing he chose to remove a second stage from the venue that night due to safety concerns about 'what might happen'.
Macklemore announces Free Palestine tour
As for Macklemore, he has not publicly commented on Sheeran's statement. What he has done is announce a Free Palestine tour for Dublin, Paris, and London next month, writing alongside his Instagram post: 'If these last couple of weeks have shown us anything, it's that something has shifted over the last three years. There has been a collective awakening around Palestinian liberation, the power of billionaires that try to censor that call, and what we expect from artists right now.'
'It's 2026. Being apolitical during a genocide doesn't work anymore,' he went on. 'People are asking artists to show up, educate themselves and be in community. To use the stage for more than entertainment. To push back when the call for a Free Palestine is met with attempts to silence it.'
Macklemore said what happened is 'bigger than' one artist, calling for everyone to 'pay attention'. Quipping that his schedule has been 'freed up a bit', he confirmed that he's been reaching out to other artists who have expressed support for Palestinian people, 'regardless of the consequences'. 'Details are still being worked out', but other artists will be joining him. There will also be dates in the US. Macklemore said 'all proceeds' will benefit organisations 'supporting the Palestinian people and movement'.
