Overview
- Messina Touring Group and Gillette Stadium announced on Friday that Ed Sheeran’s Sept. 25–26 concerts in Foxborough were canceled for public-safety reasons because a nor'easter was forecast to bring high winds and heavy rain.
- Ticket holders can get refunds at the point of purchase and customers who bought through Ticketmaster will be automatically reimbursed, the promoter and venue said.
- The cancellations follow a wider tour crisis after promoter decisions and stadium owners pressured the removal of opening act Macklemore for his pro‑Palestine remarks, a move that prompted several opening acts and Sheeran’s backing band to withdraw in solidarity.
- Crews paused stage construction at Gillette ahead of the storm as management monitored conditions, and organizers said the decision prioritized the safety of fans, staff and production teams.
- The episode has already produced concrete consequences: Macklemore has announced a separate Free Palestine tour that will donate proceeds to aid groups, Massachusetts consumer officials have fielded refund complaints, and industry leaders are debating whether venues should have preapproval power over onstage political speech.