Ed Sheeran: Two Gillette Concerts Cancelled Due to Severe Weather
The stage at the stadium is already being dismantled. The cancellation follows a turbulent tour week – but the organisers cite the weather as the confirmed reason.
Two evenings, tens of thousands of expected fans and a large stage already built: Ed Sheeran's planned concerts at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough near Boston have been cancelled at short notice. Stadium and tour management had monitored the weather development together with safety authorities and gave priority to the safety of the audience, staff and everyone involved, a spokesperson for the Kraft Group told TMZ. The dismantling of the production began at the stadium shortly afterwards.
The cancellation affects both performances of the «Loop Tour» scheduled for Friday, 25 September, and Saturday, 26 September. That means Sheeran's eighth and ninth shows at the stadium are off. In 2023, according to the venue, he set the audience record for a single show there that still stands today.
Warning of strong winds
The weather situation supports the official justification. The US National Weather Service issued a high-wind warning for the Boston area from Friday morning until the night into Sunday. There were also advisories for high waves and possible coastal flooding. For Friday, wind gusts of up to around 65 kilometres per hour were expected in the region; TMZ reported, citing the stadium operator, possible gusts of around 40 miles per hour.
In a stadium production, rain is not the only decisive factor. Suspended loudspeakers, lighting equipment, tarpaulins and temporary stage elements offer the wind large surfaces to catch. Travel to and from the venue, as well as evacuation routes, must also work safely for tens of thousands of people. The fact that the equipment is being dismantled before the first planned concert is therefore an operational consequence of the cancellation – not evidence of a different cause.
A cancellation after a conflict-ridden week
The weather news hits a tour that was already under extraordinary pressure. Macklemore had been removed from the remaining US dates after pro-Palestinian statements. Stadium owner Robert Kraft justified his resistance to a performance in Foxborough by citing statements and images he classified as antisemitic and hurtful. Macklemore disputed the political assessment of his performances.
Four further acts then withdrew: Aaron Rowe, Beoga, Lukas Graham and Finneas. Sheeran said the removal of Macklemore had been a decision by the tour promoter. The planned start of the Gillette shows was pushed back to 8 p.m.; special train connections were adjusted. In Philadelphia, Sheeran ultimately performed on 19 September without the support acts originally announced. JournalPlus has already analysed the balance of power behind that solo evening.
This chronology explains why the cancellation immediately triggered speculation. What is documented, however, is only the weather decision. Neither the stadium operator nor Sheeran's team has stated that the Foxborough dates were scrapped because of the dispute over the line-up, weak demand or political reasons.
Refunds were already a point of contention
Even a day before the full cancellation, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell had urged Ticketmaster to adopt a more generous refund policy. Her office said it had received more than 170 complaints. Ticket buyers argued that the near-total replacement of the announced supporting programme constituted a significant change in the service.
Ticketmaster then informed the office that the promoter would allow refunds. That arrangement initially applied to fans who no longer wanted to attend because of the programme changes. With the cancellation now announced, the situation is clearer: those affected should wait for the message from their original point of sale and use the refund route there. For separately booked hotels, flights or other travel costs, however, the conditions of the respective provider apply; a concert cancellation does not automatically lead to reimbursement of all ancillary costs.
The tour is set to continue in early October
On Sheeran's official schedule, a concert in Atlanta follows on 3 October, then Indianapolis on 10 October. Both stadiums have a closed roof structure. On Friday there were no indications that further dates would be cancelled.
The two Foxborough concerts are thus for now a weather-related loss at the end of a conflict-ridden tour week. Precisely the proximity in time demands a clean separation: the dispute over artists, promoters and political speech is documented. For the cancellation at Gillette Stadium, however, those responsible cite a concrete safety situation – and the official weather warning fits.
Sources
- TMZ: Ed Sheeran’s Stage Torn Down After Gillette Stadium Shows Are Canceled
- National Weather Service: warnings and forecast for the Boston area
- Gillette Stadium: LOOP Tour – original event information
- Massachusetts Attorney General: Ticketmaster to allow refunds
- WCVB: Four acts leave Sheeran's tour
- WCVB: Start times and train schedule were adjusted
