Ed Sheeran’s shows at Robert Kraft’s Gillette Stadium cancelled due to bad weather
Cancellations are latest blow to Sheeran's tour
Ed Sheeran’s concerts at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts have been cancelled due to severe weather warnings, the latest blow to a tour that has been mired in controversy since opener Macklemore was dropped for on-stage pro-Palestinian comments.
asserted
Macklemore → cancel → comments
Earlier this month, Macklemore was dropped from the tour's U.S. leg after stadium owners including billionaire Robert Kraft threatened to cancel Sheeran's shows if the rapper remained on the lineup, triggering an exodus as Sheeran’s remaining openers pulled out in solidarity.
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openers → drop → solidarity
Now, Sheeran will no longer be performing at Kraft’s Gillette Stadium on Friday and Saturday.
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Sheeran → perform → Friday
Local weather reports are calling for a storm with gusts of wind up to 64 kilometres per hour in Foxborough, where the stadium is located, outside of Boston.
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stadium → call → Boston
“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, Sheeran’s touring group, said in an Instagram statement.
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Touring → follow → statement
The venue shared the same statement.
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venue → share → statement
All tickets will be refunded through their point of purchase, the touring group added.
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group → refund → purchase
The cancellation comes a day after Macklemore announced a new tour of his own, with proceeds going to organizations supporting Palestinians.
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proceeds → come → Palestinians
He slammed what he called “the billionaire class” deciding “which voices are allowed on stage and which ones are too dangerous to hear,” quipping that his schedule had recently “freed up a bit” since being dropped as an opener.
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schedule → slam → opener
"It’s 2026.
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It → ’ → ?
Being apolitical during a genocide doesn’t work anymore," he wrote.
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he → work → genocide
An independent UN commission and Amnesty International have concluded that Israel's actions against Palestinians in Gaza amount to genocide, which the country has consistently denied.
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country → conclude → which
Macklemore played 2 shows before being dropped
Before being pulled from the roster, Macklemore had played two shows in early September at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium for the U.S. leg of Sheeran's Loop Tour.
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Macklemore → play → Tour
In speeches during those sets, he chanted, “Free Palestine” to a cheering crowd and expressed solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
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he → chant → Gaza
Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and their home base Gillette Stadium, was one of those behind the push for Macklemore’s removal, according to Messina, Macklemore and Sheeran, who said he spoke on the phone with Kraft during discussions about the push to remove the rapper.
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he → accord → rapper
Sheeran has said the decision was solely due to venues and promoters, and that they would not change their minds.
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they → say → minds
In a statement about Macklemore's removal, Sheeran said he was "appalled by the conflict" but defended his choice not to take a public stance.
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he → say → stance
Macklemore announces new tour in support of Palestine
- Commotion
Why Ed Sheeran's response to the criticism fell short
Ms. Rachel pledges $1M US in Palestinian aid to match Macklemore's donation following Sheeran tour exit
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Rachel → announce → exit
Kraft told CBC News in a statement at the time that due to Macklemore’s New Jersey shows and “a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric,” he believed performances at Gillette Stadium would “cross that line.”
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performances → tell → line
The rapper was also widely criticized in 2014 for wearing a Halloween costume that many said was antisemitic.
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many → criticize → costume
He apologized for the incident at the time.
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He → apologize → time
Openers Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Finneas pulled out of the tour after Macklemore’s ousting, as did Sheeran’s backing band, Irish group Beoga.
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band → pull → ousting
“We should be able to speak about war, about civilians being killed.…
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civilians → speak → war
Money doesn’t give you the right to own the conversation,” Graham wrote on Instagram.
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Graham → give → Instagram
Fans seeking refunds
The Gillette tour dates would have been Sheeran's second and third shows since losing his supporting acts.
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dates → seek → acts
At his first show without the acts on Sept. 19 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Sheeran apologized to the crowd, saying he never wanted to be an "activist musician" and that "what is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable."
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happening → apologize → Gaza
He added that he is "listening and learning."
Pro-Palestinian protesters outside the venue called on other fans to boycott the show, criticizing Sheeran's apolitical stance.
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protesters → add → stance
Prices have also sagged for remaining tickets since the controversy began.
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controversy → sag → tickets
Prior to the total cancellation of the Massachusetts shows, the state's attorney general had said that consumers looking for refunds due to the lineup changes would be granted them.
“After hearing from nearly 200 consumers who were struggling to obtain refunds from Ticketmaster for Ed Sheeran’s shows at Gillette Stadium this weekend, my office jumped into action to demand that consumers be provided a clear path to get their money back if they no longer want to attend due to significant changes to the lineup,” Andrea Joy Campbell said in a statement.
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Campbell → say → statement
Ticketmaster's policy allows for openers to change without requiring that audiences be eligible for refunds.
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audiences → allow → refunds
But Campbell said after her office submitted a request to the company, it made an exception for the Sept. 25 and 26 shows.
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it → say → shows
The Aporia
