Ed Sheeran’s two scheduled concerts at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts have been cancelled after severe weather warnings raised safety concerns across Boston and the wider New England region.

The shows were due to take place on Friday and Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, near Boston, as part of Sheeran’s current US tour. However, worsening weather conditions prompted the promoter and tour to call off both performances after consultation with local officials.

The cancellation was tied directly to warnings surrounding a powerful storm system expected to affect the region through the weekend.

Gillette Stadium said the decision was taken with the safety of fans, staff and everyone involved in the concerts as the top priority.

Why were the Ed Sheeran concerts cancelled?

The central concern was the combination of strong winds, heavy rain and the risk of flooding.

Weather forecasts cited in coverage of the cancellation warned that a nor’easter could bring coastal flooding, high surf, heavy rain and strong winds across a broad stretch from North Carolina to New England. Wind gusts of up to 60 mph were considered possible, while heavy rain carried a risk of flash flooding, particularly around the Boston metropolitan area.

High-wind warnings were also in effect in the area into the early hours of Sunday, while officials were advising motorists to minimise travel.

Those conditions presented a wider problem than rain falling during a concert. Large stadium events involve thousands of people travelling to and from the venue, outdoor queues, temporary event infrastructure, staffing and transport movements before and after the performance.

The venue said the decision came after consultation with local officials and was made because of severe weather warnings affecting Boston and New England throughout the weekend.

Both Gillette Stadium shows affected

Sheeran had been scheduled to perform two consecutive nights at Gillette Stadium, the home of the New England Patriots.

Both the Friday and Saturday concerts were cancelled rather than postponed in the information released alongside the announcement.

For ticket holders, refunds are being made available through the original point of purchase. Those who bought tickets through Ticketmaster are set to receive automatic refunds.

Cancellation comes during an eventful stretch of Sheeran’s tour

The weather disruption comes after Sheeran’s tour had already drawn attention for a separate controversy involving support act Macklemore.

Macklemore was removed from the tour following comments he made on stage relating to Palestine and Gaza. Sheeran later said the decision to remove the rapper was made by the promoter rather than by him. Other support and backing artists subsequently pulled out following Macklemore’s removal.

That controversy, however, is separate from the cancellation of the Gillette Stadium concerts.

The information released about the Massachusetts dates attributes the decision specifically to severe weather warnings and concerns about safely staging the shows while the storm system moves through New England.

For fans planning to attend in Foxborough, the weekend will therefore end without the two scheduled performances, with the weather threat ultimately making the large-scale stadium events too risky to proceed.

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