Ed Sheeran’s weekend in Foxborough is over before the first note, with both Gillette Stadium concerts canceled as severe weather moves toward New England.
According to TMZ, Sheeran’s scheduled Friday and Saturday performances at Gillette Stadium on September 25 and 26 were canceled because of the approaching storm. The Ed Sheeran concerts were part of his ongoing LOOP Tour and were expected to bring the singer back to the Massachusetts venue for the first time since 2023.
A representative for Robert Kraft confirmed the cancellation to TMZ and said safety concerns drove the decision.
“Stadium and tour management, along with public safety officials, have been closely monitoring the weather forecast over the past week. Due to the severe weather forecast throughout the weekend, the tour has made the difficult decision to cancel the Ed Sheeran concerts at Gillette Stadium.”
The representative also addressed what happens next for fans who already purchased tickets.
“The decision was made with the safety of fans, staff, and everyone involved in the shows as the top priority. Refunds are available now at the point of purchase. Ticketholders who purchased through Ticketmaster will be automatically refunded.”
The weather threat is significant. According to the National Weather Service forecast for Foxborough, rain was expected to develop Friday while northeast winds increased throughout the day. Forecasters said gusts could reach roughly 40 miles per hour Friday, with even stronger gusts possible Friday night as rain became more likely. The wider Boston area was also placed under wind-related weather alerts as the storm approached.
Concerns had already begun affecting production before the Ed Sheeran concerts were officially canceled. TMZ reported Thursday that crews had paused construction on the concert stage while organizers monitored the nor’easter and determined whether conditions would remain safe enough to continue preparing the outdoor venue.
The cancellation interrupts what was supposed to be a major return for Sheeran. According to Gillette Stadium, the September shows would have marked his eighth and ninth performances at the venue. Stadium officials also said his previous appearance there in 2023 set a single show attendance record for Gillette. At the time this story was prepared, the stadium’s online event calendar still displayed the September 25 and 26 dates even though a stadium representative had confirmed the cancellations to TMZ.
Refunds had already become an issue before weather forced the shows off the calendar. On September 24, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office announced that Ticketmaster had agreed to provide advance refunds to customers who no longer wanted to attend following significant changes to the tour lineup. Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell’s office stepped in after receiving complaints from consumers who said they were having difficulty getting their money back. The cancellation now means Ticketmaster buyers will receive automatic refunds, according to the stadium representative who spoke with TMZ.
The lineup changes stemmed from the removal of Macklemore from Sheeran’s tour following his comments about Palestinians during a September concert at MetLife Stadium. Macklemore said “Free Palestine” while addressing the crowd and criticizing Israeli government actions in Gaza and the West Bank. Sheeran later said removing Macklemore was a decision made by tour organizers and that stadium owners had indicated they would not host future shows if Macklemore remained on the bill.
The decision triggered additional departures. According to Reuters, opening performers Finneas, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe, along with members of Sheeran’s touring band Beoga, withdrew from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore. Sheeran addressed the controversy during his September 19 concert in Philadelphia, where he performed after the supporting acts had exited the tour and apologized for how the situation had unfolded.
The controversy was expected to follow the tour into Massachusetts. Massachusetts Peace Action had organized a demonstration near Gillette Stadium for Saturday afternoon that included opposition to Macklemore’s removal among its stated concerns. The organization listed the Foxborough gathering as part of a larger statewide series of demonstrations.
Meanwhile, Macklemore has continued moving forward with his own plans. On Thursday, the rapper announced a “Free Palestine Tour,” with scheduled stops in Dublin, Paris and London in October.
For Sheeran, weather ultimately became the immediate reason the Foxborough dates disappeared from the LOOP Tour schedule. What had already become one of the most closely watched stops of his current run will now end without either Ed Sheeran concert taking place at Gillette Stadium this weekend.
