A weekend nor’easter bound for New England has prompted the cancellation of the English pop singer Ed Sheeran’s concerts Friday and Saturday in Foxborough, Massachusetts, about 22 miles (37 kilometers) southwest of Boston. Refunds will be provided.
Ed Sheeran’s concerts cancelled
“Due to the severe weather warnings in place in Boston and New England throughout the weekend and following consultation with local officials, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the Ed Sheeran concerts at Gillette Stadium,” concert promoter Messina Touring said in a statement Friday.The decision “was made with the safety of fans, staff and everyone involved in the shows as the top priority,” the company said.
About the storm
The storm is expected to sock much of the East Coast with strong winds, coastal flooding and heavy rain. The National Weather Service said gusts could hit 60 to 65 mph (97 to 105 kph) on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket on Friday night, and about 50 to 55 mph (80 to 89 kph) around Boston.The storm also led organizers of the Global Citizen, CBGB and All Things Go festivals to cancel performances in New York set for this weekend. Global Citizen, which had already raised nearly USD 210 million this year for its antipoverty efforts, was going to be headlined this year by Ms. Lauryn Hill and her Fugees’ bandmate Wyclef Jean.All Things Go in New York was going to include performances by Zara Larsson, Lola Young, Brandi Carlile, Carly Rae Jepsen and others, while CBCB headliners included Morrissey and Patti Smith.
A tumultuous two weeks for Sheeran’s Loop Tour
The cancellations are the latest disruption to Sheeran’s Loop Tour after Macklemore was dropped from the lineup for making pro-Palestinian comments onstage during a Sept. 5 show in New Jersey and supporting acts withdrew in solidarity.Sheeran said at a concert Saturday in Philadelphia that he wants his music and shows to be about unity and humanity, not politics. But he said the attacks in Israel of Oct. 7, 2023, were horrific and called what is happening in Gaza “catastrophic and unjustifiable.”
The Macklemore controversy
The decision to drop Macklemore came at the urging of Robert Kraft, the owner of the NFL’s New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, who said in a statement that it was the result of the rapper’s recent comments “and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery.”Sheeran has said he was not responsible for cutting Macklemore from the tour, blaming the tour promoter.
Macklemore announces ‘Free Palestine’ tour
Macklemore, announced on Thursday he would headline his own “Free Palestine” concert tour that will start next month.The tour will begin in Dublin, Paris and London, Macklemore said in an Instagram post. US dates and additional performers will be announced later, he said, adding that proceeds would be donated to organizations that support the Palestinian people.“Being apolitical during a genocide doesn’t work anymore,” he said. “People are asking artists to show up, educate themselves and be in community. To use the stage for more than entertainment. To push back when the call for a Free Palestine is met with attempts to silence it.”
