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Ed Sheeran's Boston concerts were canceled hours before showtime at the stadium that banned Macklemore

Ed Sheeran's Boston concerts were canceled hours before showtime at the stadium that banned Macklemore

written by Daniel Okafor

September 25, 2026 1:09 pm

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Ed Sheeran's Boston concerts were canceled hours before showtime at the stadium that banned Macklemore — Image credit: Legion Media

A protest was on the calendar, the replacement openers had quit within hours of being hired, and the stage crew in Foxborough had already downed tools. Then, on the morning of the first show, the whole weekend was called off — by the one party in this fight nobody gets to argue with.

Messina Touring Group announced late Friday morning that both of Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, tonight and Saturday, are canceled. The reason, per GBH, is "severe weather warnings in place in Boston and across New England" as a nor'easter moves up the coast.

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TMZ reports Foxborough is looking at 1 to 2 inches of rain and gusts up to 40 mph, and stage construction stopped on Thursday. The same storm canceled the Beach Boys at the Big E. Ticketmaster refunds are automatic.

Still, nobody in New England read this as a weather story. Of all the stadiums on the tour, this one belongs to Robert Kraft, the man Macklemore says got him thrown off the bill.

Ed Sheeran as himself in Yesterday (2019). His two Gillette Stadium nights were called off on the morning of the first show. Image credit: Legion Media

How a support slot turned into a stadium owner's problem

It started at MetLife Stadium in early September, where Macklemore, opening for Sheeran, performed "Hind's Hall," his song about a Palestinian child killed in Gaza, and shouted "Free Palestine" from the stage. On September 14 the promoters dropped him, citing a venue that refused to host him. On Instagram, Macklemore named the venue's owner: Kraft, he said, had given Sheeran an ultimatum. Kraft's statement on the ban opened like this:

"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."

Sheeran pinned the decision on the promoters. Then the lineup started walking:

Macklemore — dropped on September 14. He pledged his $1 million in tour earnings to Palestinian aid and announced Free Palestine benefit shows in Dublin, Paris and London for late October, per Al Jazeera.
Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe — replacements, both out within hours.
Finneas — pulled out of his South American dates.
Nearly half a million Instagram followers — gone from Sheeran's account, according to The Hill.

Sheeran finally spoke last weekend in Philadelphia. He called the situation in Gaza "catastrophic and unjustifiable" and apologized for "making mistakes." Then came the part aimed at Foxborough:

"I am deeply worried about the idea that venues pre-approve content for performers. This happens in so many places that I perform around the world, but it should never happen in the free world."

The Saturday that won't happen now

This was supposed to be the tour's first test on Kraft's turf. Massachusetts Peace Action had booked a protest outside the stadium on Saturday from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., in solidarity with Macklemore. The show it was built around no longer exists.

In 2023 Sheeran played two Gillette nights and added an "intimate" show at Boston's Wang Theatre the day before. This time Messina's statement mentions refunds and no make-up date. So the question isn't whether Ed Sheeran plays Boston again. It's whether he does it in Kraft's building.