Weather forces cancellation of two stadium shows
Two Ed Sheeran concerts at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, have been called off due to a nor'easter forecast to hit the East Coast. The shows were scheduled for Friday and Saturday nights. Messina Touring Group, the tour promoter, announced the cancellation in a statement, citing severe weather warnings in Boston and across New England for the weekend. They emphasized that the decision was made after consulting local officials and prioritizing the safety of fans, staff, and all involved in the concerts.[S1]
Macklemore dropped from Loop Tour after remarks
The cancellations come as Sheeran continues his Loop Tour without opening act Macklemore, who was removed following criticism of his 'Free Palestine' statements at two MetLife Stadium shows earlier in the month. Other opening acts, including Finneas O'Connell, the Danish band Lukas Graham, the Irish band Beoga, and singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe, have also departed the tour. Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft objected to Macklemore's comments, stating that he did not consider them appropriate for the Foxborough venue and characterizing them as hate speech.[S1]
In a statement, Kraft explained that Gillette Stadium is committed to creating a welcoming environment for all guests and preventing the promotion of hate speech. He referenced Macklemore's recent actions, material shared during Ed Sheeran's New Jersey shows, and a history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that he believes has caused pain to the Jewish community. Kraft stated that allowing Macklemore to perform at the September 25 and 26 concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross this line. He clarified that the decision was not about minimizing Palestinian suffering or denying advocacy for Palestinians, but that such advocacy should not harm the Jewish community or obscure the role of Hamas, which he described as a terrorist organization responsible for immense suffering for both Palestinians and Israelis.[S1]
Promoter cites venue pressure and fan impact
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Kraft and other NFL stadium owners contacted Messina Touring Group after Macklemore's initial 'Free Palestine' remarks at the September 4 MetLife Stadium show, and were assured he would not repeat them. However, Macklemore made similar comments during the second MetLife Stadium show. Messina Touring Group removed Macklemore from the tour on September 14, stating that venues would not permit concerts with the rapper on the lineup. In their statement, the promoter explained that venues on upcoming U.S. tour dates had notified them that they would not allow concerts with Macklemore, which would lead to tour cancellations and affect hundreds of thousands of fans. After discussions with stakeholders, it was decided that Macklemore would not perform on the remaining support dates.[S1]
