Ed Sheeran's Tour Trouble Shifts From Macklemore Fallout To Storm Threat in Foxborough

Following the controversy that resulted in Ed Sheeran's supporting acts backing out of his tour, the musician now faces another setback after severe weather forced the cancellation of his performances.

While thousands of fans expected to fill the seats at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough this weekend, a powerful storm in the area led organisers to cancel the anticipated concerts. The promoter said the decision was made with the safety of fans, staff and everyone involved in the shows as the top priority.

Severe Weather Disrupted Preparations for Ed Sheeran's Concert

According to TMZ, severe weather from a nor'easter disrupted construction of the stage setup for Ed Sheeran's planned Friday and Saturday shows at Gillette Stadium.

Sources told the outlet that worsening conditions had already affected work on the stage, forcing crews to pause construction as they monitored the forecast.

One production source said crews had already assembled parts of the stage on Thursday before workers were ordered to stop due to the brewing storm.

Executives were reportedly deliberating on what to do for the show as forecasts pointed to a mix of heavy rain and strong winds that could make the outdoor performance difficult and potentially damage stage equipment.

Despite the instability, preparations had not completely stopped before the cancellation. A separate venue source told TMZ that nearly every major component of the production would be available for Friday's show, with lighting still being tested.

Workers were reportedly conducting lighting checks as they awaited further instructions. The Friday 25 September and Saturday 26 September performances were subsequently cancelled because of the severe weather.

Ed Sheeran Under Fire for Being Complicit in Macklemore's Removal From His Show

Before the weather disrupted Ed Sheeran's concert plans, a different storm was already raging around the tour.

During the first few concerts of the tour, Macklemore took a few minutes on stage to speak up about Palestine and the conflict in Gaza. Soon after, Macklemore was removed from the remaining tour dates following pressure from venues and the tour's promoter.

Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium, publicly defended the decision, citing Macklemore's recent comments and what he described as a broader history of rhetoric and imagery he found offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.

Sheeran later said the decision was made by the tour's promoters and venue owners rather than by him personally. The controversy led the rest of Sheeran's supporting acts to withdraw from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.

Sheeran addressed the controversy on stage during his 19 September show at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field, where he revealed he had spent days questioning whether he even wanted to continue.

'I really didn't know whether this tour would be carrying on. I really didn't know whether I'd even be getting on stage again, whether I even wanted to be an artist at all,' he said in an emotional speech.

'In these situations, you really find out who your friends are, and it's been a weird week. I just feel like it happened very quickly,' he said, alluding to his supporting acts' departure.

'And the whole time, I had so many people telling me to cancel this tour, and so many people coming out of my life that I've known for years and years and years just kind of backing away.'

'I've had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I'm so, so sorry,' he said.

Ed Sheeran Lost Hundreds of Thousands of Followers Following Tour Controversy

The 'Shape of You' singer's social media following took a huge hit after his supporting acts left the tour in solidarity with Macklemore. He lost nearly 150,000 Instagram followers in under 24 hours as backlash intensified around the tour.

The decline continued in the following days, with his Instagram audience reportedly dropping from 47.6 million to 47.2 million followers, totalling a decline of nearly 500,000 accounts.

The same could not be said for Sheeran's former support acts. Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Sheeran's long-time backing band Beoga also saw increases in followers following their departure, with reports putting their combined gain at about 1.6 million during the same period.

Rowe released a lengthy statement regarding his decision to back out. 'I don't take the decision lightly. Ed has been a friend to me and has changed my life, I could never thank him enough for this.'

Despite their relationship, the Irish musician drew a line. 'I cannot stand by and allow billionaires to use their position of power to silence the rightful voices of those who speak up against Israeli genocide and who highlight the savage murder of children,' he said.