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Ed Sheeran’s challenging month continues as a pair of his high-profile stadium shows have been canceled due to weather.
The pop star’s Sept. 25 and 26 shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., have been nixed due
to a nor’easter that’s set to hit the East Coast, with heavy rain and strong winds.
“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,” tour promoter Messina Touring said in a statement. “The decision was made with the safety of fans, staff and everyone involved in the shows as the top priority.”
Gillette Stadium is owned by billionaire Robert Kraft, who former Sheeran opener Macklemore alleged pushed to get him kicked off the Loop Tour due to his “Free Palestine” messaging in concert.
Kraft issued a response after Macklemore’s accusation, saying he’d “welcome the opportunity to sit down with Macklemore and discuss the facts.”
“Gillette Stadium has a longstanding commitment to providing a welcoming environment for all guests and ensuring that events held at our venue do not provide a platform for hate speech,” Kraft also said in his statement. “Based on Macklemore’s recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran’s shows in New Jersey, and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community, we determined that his participation in the September 25th and 26th concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line.”
Following Macklemore getting the boot from the tour, Sheeran tearfully read a message from a teleprompter during his Sept. 19 show.
“I don’t want to disappoint fans, and I’ve never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet,” he said. “My concerts have always been a safe space for everyone, and that matters hugely to me. Honoring my commitment to my fans is also completely essential to who I am, and that is why I’m here tonight on my own and continuing my current tour.”
