Fact Check: Were Ed Sheeran's Gillette shows canceled because of Macklemore controversy?

WASHINGTON, DC: Ed Sheeran’s scheduled shows at Gillette Stadium have drawn attention after the concerts were canceled amid a major nor’easter affecting New England. The cancellation came as Sheeran’s tour was already facing controversy over the removal of rapper Macklemore as an opening act, prompting questions online about whether the two events were connected.

Claim: Ed Sheeran's Gillette Stadium shows canceled because of Macklemore

Ed Sheeran’s shows this weekend at Gillette Stadium, the home of Robert Kraft’s New England Patriots, were canceled amid ongoing controversy over the removal of Macklemore from Sheeran’s tour.

The controversy began after Macklemore said “Free Palestine” during an earlier concert and repeated the message at another show despite reportedly being asked not to do so.

Macklemore’s removal also led other opening acts and members of Sheeran’s backing band to leave the tour in solidarity with him. As a result, Sheeran performed without the other acts during his Philadelphia show last weekend.

Meanwhile, Massachusetts Peace Action, an advocacy group focused on the Israel-Palestine conflict, had planned to protest Saturday’s show at Gillette Stadium. The cancellation also came a day after Macklemore criticized Sheeran and Kraft while announcing his “Free Palestine Tour.”

The developments prompted reactions on social media, with some users linking the concert cancellation to the controversy surrounding Macklemore.

One X user wrote, “That’s wild tbh. So had Ed just stuck by Macklemore, then he’d be in a better position than the PR nightmare he’s currently dealing with.”

Fact Check: False; cancelation was due to bad weather

The claim is false. The Readers community added context to the original post, noting that TMZ later explained the cancelation was due to severe weather. 

However, the initial TMZ post did not mention the reason for the cancellation, which may have led some users to connect it to the controversy surrounding Macklemore.

TMZ later published a follow-up post explaining that severe weather prompted the cancellation. A representative for Robert Kraft said stadium and tour management had monitored the forecast throughout the week with public safety officials. 

The representative said the tour canceled Ed Sheeran’s Gillette Stadium concerts because of the severe weather expected throughout the weekend. 

“Stadium and tour management, along with public safety officials, have been closely monitoring the weather forecast over the past week. Due to the severe weather forecast throughout the weekend, the tour has made the difficult decision to cancel the Ed Sheeran concerts at Gillette Stadium."

The representative also said, “The decision was made with the safety of fans, staff, and everyone involved in the shows as the top priority. Refunds are available now at the point of purchase. Ticketholders who purchased through Ticketmaster will be automatically refunded.”

Fox Weather reported that Foxborough, Massachusetts, where Gillette Stadium is located, could receive 1 to 2 inches of rain, with wind gusts reaching up to 40 mph. Sheeran’s next scheduled concert is in Atlanta on October 3.