Ed Sheeran’s scheduled weekend performances at Gillette Stadium have been called off due to hazardous weather conditions, the Robert Kraft-owned venue confirmed on Friday. Organizers noted that the decision was finalized after consultations with local authorities, the tour team, and promoters, with the safety of fans and staff cited as the primary concern. The venue has confirmed that ticket holders are entitled to refunds for the canceled dates. “Following the advice of the National Weather Service and in cooperation with local public officials, we must make the difficult decision to cancel,” the event’s promoters announced Friday.
This disruption occurs against a backdrop of intense scrutiny surrounding Sheeran’s current tour. Last week, it was revealed that Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, moved to block Macklemore from performing at Gillette Stadium. Macklemore, who had been serving as the tour’s opening act, stated on social media that he had been dropped from the remaining U.S. dates after Kraft allegedly pressured other venue owners with an ultimatum, threatening to ban them from hosting the tour if the rapper remained on the bill.
In response to the controversy, Kraft issued a statement defending his decision. He pointed to Macklemore’s recent onstage commentary during Sheeran’s New Jersey shows, as well as a documented history of what he characterized as antisemitic rhetoric and imagery. The fallout has been significant, with various opening acts and members of Sheeran’s backing band resigning in support of Macklemore. Sheeran addressed the situation during his performance in Philadelphia last Saturday, opening the concert with a brief apology for his own unspecified “mistakes.”
The cancellation at Gillette Stadium follows a broader trend of event disruptions across the Northeast as an intensifying early-season nor’easter moves across the region. Weather officials have issued warnings covering areas from the Carolinas to Maine, predicting dangerous conditions including high winds, coastal flooding, and hazardous tides. These same atmospheric threats have forced the cancellation of several other high-profile events this weekend.
In Maryland, the organizers of the Oceans Calling festival in Ocean City confirmed they were forced to cancel their three-day event, citing that the forecasted weather made it impossible to safely set up the stage infrastructure. Similarly, the Global Citizen Festival in New York’s Central Park has been scrapped. Organizers for the New York event noted that this is the first time in 14 years the festival has been forced to cancel. Furthermore, the All Things Go Festival, originally slated to run from Friday through Sunday in Forest Hills, New York, was also removed from the schedule. Emma Tucker, Gloria Pazmino, Maria Sole Campinoti, and Danny Freeman contributed to this report.
