Ed Sheeran's tour stops at Gillette Stadium have been canceled.
The Foxborough, Massachusetts, shows – originally set to take place on Friday, Sept. 25, and Saturday, Sept. 26, as part of Sheeran's Loop Tour – have been canceled due to the upcoming nor'easter headed toward the East Coast, tour promoter Messina Touring Group said in a statement Friday morning.
"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," the statement read. "The decision was made with the safety of fans, staff and everyone involved in the shows as the top priority."
The promoter said refunds
are available at the point of purchase, and ticket holders who purchased through Ticketmaster will be "automatically refunded."
Sheeran's shows at the Robert Kraft-owned stadium were at the center of controversy after Macklemore was removed as an opening act from the remaining U.S. dates of Sheeran's tour due to his onstage comments about Palestine at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on Sept. 4.
The rapper, in confirming his removal from the tour, said Sheeran told him that Kraft had opposed his scheduled appearances at Gillette Stadium and had gained support from other venue owners.
Messina Touring Group said at the time that venues scheduled to host upcoming shows would not allow the concerts to proceed with Macklemore on the lineup. Kraft later confirmed that Macklemore would not be permitted to perform at the stadium, citing material presented during his MetLife appearances and what Kraft described as a history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery.
Sheeran added that it was not his decision to remove Macklemore from his shows. The "Shape of You" singer said venues warned they would not host concerts with Macklemore on the lineup, which could have jeopardized the rest of the tour.
Still, all of the tour's opening acts have since dropped out after Macklemore's removal.
Days ahead of the Gillette Stadium shows, the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office received more than 170 consumer complaints about people having trouble getting refunds, according to Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell.
"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," the attorney general said, according to a press release. "In response to the AGO's letter, Ticketmaster informed the AGO that the event organizer will allow refunds for tickets purchased through Ticketmaster for the Ed Sheeran shows at Gillette Stadium."
Contributing: Rin Velasco, Wicked Local
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ed Sheeran tour stops at Gillette Stadium canceled
