Ed Sheeran’s Gillette Stadium shows on Friday, September 25, and Saturday, September 26, are at risk as a major nor’easter approaches New England. Production sources said construction of the stage at the open-air venue in Foxborough, Massachusetts, was paused Thursday evening while organizers considered whether to dismantle it.
No final decision had been announced by Thursday night. It also remained unclear whether either concert would be rescheduled if severe weather forced a cancellation.
Why are the Gillette Stadium concerts in doubt?
Crews had partially assembled the stage by Thursday morning, according to people involved in the production. Later that day, workers were told to stop while senior organizers assessed the forecast and decided whether the structure needed to come down.
The storm is expected to bring strong winds and several inches of rain beginning Friday night. Those are poor conditions for tens of thousands of people in an outdoor stadium, and not especially friendly to a large temporary stage either.
A separate stadium source offered a slightly more optimistic account, saying nearly everything was ready for Sheeran to perform Friday. Lighting remained unfinished, with crews continuing tests Thursday night in case the opening concert received clearance to proceed.
The weather problem arrives after an already turbulent week for the tour. Until the storm appeared, the main dispute concerned Macklemore’s removal from the lineup and the reaction to New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s reported role in that decision. Nature has now supplied a second problem, one less responsive to public relations.
Why were fans already requesting refunds?
Nearly 200 people contacted Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell after struggling to obtain refunds from Ticketmaster, Campbell said Thursday. Those complaints were not prompted by the forecast. Fans wanted their money back following Macklemore’s departure from the tour.
Campbell’s office intervened and demanded that Ticketmaster issue refunds. Meanwhile, Massachusetts Peace Action, an advocacy organization focused on ending the Israel-Palestine conflict, announced plans to protest during Saturday’s concert.
Macklemore had faced criticism after saying “Free Palestine” during an earlier tour stop. He reportedly repeated the statement on a second night despite warnings not to do so. Previous reporting said Kraft then pressured Sheeran to remove the rapper from the tour.
Sheeran performed without his usual supporting lineup at the next stop in Philadelphia. His backing band and other opening acts withdrew in solidarity with Macklemore, leaving Sheeran to take the stage alone with his guitar. He became emotional while addressing the controversy surrounding the dismissal.
Hours before reports of the weather threat emerged, Macklemore announced his own “Free Palestine Tour” and criticized both Sheeran and Kraft. Whether the Foxborough concerts now proceed will depend less on that dispute than on the wind, rain and safety assessment facing organizers.
