Many eyes were supposed to be on Massachusetts’ Gillette Stadium this weekend, where Ed Sheeran was set to perform Friday and Saturday — but Mother Nature had other plans.
Sheeran’s two shows at Gillette were canceled due to the expected severe weather hitting the East Coast this weekend.
It came a little over a week after the stadium’s owner, billionaire Robert Kraft, was instrumental in Macklemore’s removal from Sheeran’s Loop Tour after the rapper made pro-Palestinian comments at an earlier show.
Sheeran said that after he was told Kraft and other stadium owners would cancel his shows at their venues if he didn’t remove Macklemore, his promoter chose to drop the rapper.
Kraft confirmed he had barred Macklemore from his stadium, telling Rolling Stone on September 14 that the stadium is focused on “providing a welcoming environment for all guests and ensuring that all events held at our venue do not provide a platform for hate speech,” and said Macklemore had “crossed that line.”
The controversy led to Sheeran’s backing band and opening acts dropping out. He performed in Philadelphia on September 19 with a new backing band and addressed the fallout, saying he was “so, so sorry” and “never wanted to be an activist musician.”
“I hope this isn’t the end of my friendship with Ed,” Macklemore said at the time of his removal. “I hope we both continue listening, studying what is happening in Palestine, and wrestling with what neutrality means in a moment like this. My door will always be open to continuing that conversation.”
Messina Touring, the promoter behind the Loop Tour, said in a statement Friday — hours before the first concert was set to start — that the events at Gillette would be canceled due to “severe weather warnings in place in Boston and across New England.”
“The decision was made with the safety of fans, staff, and everyone involved in the shows as the top priority,” the statement added.
The Loop Tour is expected to resume on October 3 in Atlanta.
Sheeran’s show isn’t the only activity getting canceled this weekend due to the potential nor’easter. All Things Go, a three-day music festival set to be held in Queens, New York, was canceled on Friday. Global Citizen Festival, another festival in New York City, and Oceans Calling, a music festival in Ocean City, Maryland, were also canceled.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency, as did New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill. ABC7 reported the storm this weekend could bring “damaging winds, significant coastal flooding, heavy rain, travel disruptions, and potential power outages.”
The cancellations cap a turbulent period for Sheeran, who said he had experienced “the worst week” of his life just last week.
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