Ed Sheeran’s long-awaited return to Gillette Stadium has taken an unexpected turn, leaving fans facing disappointment just as the singer was due to take the stage. The Loop Tour had brought Sheeran back to Foxborough for two highly anticipated performances, but severe weather across Massachusetts changed everything at the last moment.

The September 25 and 26 concerts were canceled as a powerful nor’easter moved through the Northeast, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, coastal flooding concerns and hazardous conditions. What makes the situation even more difficult for fans is that the cancellation comes after weeks of controversy surrounding the tour’s changing supporting lineup and an earlier fight over refund access.

Why Were Ed Sheeran’s Gillette Stadium Concerts Canceled?

Sheeran had been scheduled to perform at Gillette Stadium at 8 p.m. on Friday, September 25, and Saturday, September 26, 2026.

But as the weekend approached, weather conditions deteriorated across the region. The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for the Boston area from Friday morning through early Sunday, with winds expected to strengthen and gusts potentially reaching around 40 mph.

For an outdoor stadium concert, that combination created a serious safety concern.

Forecasts called for strong winds, heavy rain and coastal flooding concerns across parts of New England. With thousands of fans expected to gather at the venue, the weather threat became impossible to separate from the practical risks surrounding a major live production.

Messina Touring announced the cancellation on September 25, the day the first performance was scheduled to take place.

The promoter said:

“Due to the severe weather warnings in place in Boston and across 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.”

Messina Touring added:

“The decision was made with the safety of fans, staff and everyone involved in the shows as the top priority.”

The reason given for the cancellation was therefore clear: severe weather and safety concerns following consultation with local officials.

While Sheeran’s weekend fell apart, another artist is just gearing up to hit the road. Fans can already circle three new U.S. arena dates on their calendars. Check our story on Brent Faiyaz Announces 2026 I Spent the Night With Brent Faiyaz Tour With Three U.S. Arena Shows

The Two Canceled Concert Dates

Date	Scheduled time	Location	Status
Friday, September 25, 2026	8 p.m.	Gillette Stadium, Foxborough	Canceled
Saturday, September 26, 2026	8 p.m.	Gillette Stadium, Foxborough	Canceled

Neither performance will take place.

Ed Sheeran’s Gillette Stadium Return Had Been Highly Anticipated

The cancellation is especially disappointing because these shows were supposed to mark Sheeran’s first appearances at Gillette Stadium since 2023.

The venue had promoted the two concerts as Sheeran’s eighth and ninth overall performances at Gillette Stadium. His previous visit in 2023 had been particularly significant because he established the stadium’s single-show attendance record, which the venue said remained in place ahead of the 2026 concerts.

The Loop Tour was also bringing a new production design to the stadium.

Fans were expecting songs from Sheeran’s album Play alongside established favorites and older material, making the two-night Foxborough run a major stop on his North American stadium tour.

Gillette Stadium had originally listed both September 25 and September 26 performances on its official events calendar.

After months of planning, however, the highly anticipated return ended before either show could happen.

Not every upcoming tour stop is dealing with weather delays or lineup controversy. One pop star just locked in a fresh 2027 stop with a notable supporting act attached. Read our article on Hilary Duff’s 2027 Des Moines Concert: The Lucky Me Tour Adds Tegan and Sara for Casey’s Center Show

The Nor’easter Created Serious Conditions Around New England

The weather system behind the cancellation brought several hazards together at once.

The National Weather Service forecast for Boston called for increasingly strong northeast winds on Friday, with gusts potentially reaching about 65 km/h, or roughly 40 mph. A wind advisory remained in effect from Friday morning through early Sunday.

Other forecasts warned of damaging winds, heavy rainfall and coastal flooding across the region.

That combination matters even more at a large outdoor venue.

Strong winds and heavy rain can create additional risks involving temporary structures, staging, equipment, crowd movement and transportation. The weather therefore presented concerns that extended beyond whether fans would simply get wet during the performances.

As the cancellation took effect, crews were seen dismantling Sheeran’s stage at Gillette Stadium Friday morning.

For fans who had spent months anticipating the shows, the sight underscored how quickly the weekend had changed.

What Happens to Ed Sheeran Ticket Holders?

For ticket holders, the immediate question was understandably about their money.

Fans who purchased tickets for the canceled concerts are entitled to refunds.

Messina Touring said refunds would be available through the original point of purchase, while Ticketmaster customers were to receive automatic refunds following the cancellation.

But the refund issue was already complicated before the nor’easter forced the shows to be called off.

Massachusetts Attorney General Had Already Intervened

On September 24, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced that her office had intervened after receiving more than 170 consumer complaints from people experiencing difficulties obtaining refunds following significant changes to the concert lineup.

The Attorney General’s Office said Ticketmaster had committed to allowing refunds for tickets purchased through the platform for the September 25 and 26 Gillette Stadium concerts.

Campbell said:

“After hearing from nearly 200 consumers who were struggling to obtain refunds from Ticketmaster for Ed Sheeran’s shows at Gillette Stadium this weekend, my office jumped into action to demand that consumers be provided a clear path to get their money back if they no longer want to attend due to significant changes to the lineup.”

The Attorney General’s Office had asked Ticketmaster to make an exception to its stated policy concerning changes to opening acts.

The office argued that the simultaneous changes to much of the lineup represented a substantial alteration to what consumers had originally purchased.

Ticketmaster subsequently agreed to allow refunds for the Gillette Stadium shows.

The cancellation has now created a separate and straightforward basis for refunds: the concerts themselves will not take place.

Macklemore’s Removal Had Already Created Controversy

The weather cancellation did not arrive in isolation.

Sheeran’s Loop Tour had already experienced a turbulent few weeks surrounding its supporting lineup.

Macklemore had originally been scheduled as an opening act for the Gillette Stadium performances. He was removed from the tour after publicly expressing support for Palestinians during a concert in New Jersey earlier in September.

During that performance, the rapper used the phrase “Free Palestine”, and the controversy intensified after reports that Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, objected to Macklemore appearing at the venue.

CBS News reported that Kraft had previously told Sheeran that Macklemore would not be permitted to perform at Gillette Stadium because of what Kraft described as the rapper’s “broader history of antisemitic rhetoric.”

The controversy did not stop with Macklemore’s removal.

Several other supporting acts withdrew from the tour afterward, further changing the lineup that ticket buyers had originally expected.

Those changes became a significant part of the Massachusetts refund dispute. The Attorney General’s Office specifically referred to consumers seeking refunds because of “significant changes to the lineup.”

Ed Sheeran Later Addressed the Gaza Controversy

The wider controversy also reached Sheeran directly.

During his September 19 concert at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, the singer spoke about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Sheeran described the situation as:

“catastrophic and unjustifiable.”

Reuters reported that he also discussed the broader controversy surrounding Macklemore’s removal and his own position on the issue.

Before that, Sheeran had emphasized that he wanted his concerts to focus on humanity rather than political division. His Philadelphia remarks represented a more direct public discussion of the humanitarian crisis amid the controversy surrounding the tour.

However, the distinction surrounding the Gillette cancellation is important.

The cancellation announcement cited severe weather and consultation with local officials as the reason the concerts could not proceed. It did not attribute the cancellation to the Macklemore dispute or Sheeran’s comments about Gaza.

The Loop Tour Continues After the Foxborough Cancellation

Despite losing both Massachusetts performances, Sheeran’s Loop Tour is not over.

His official tour schedule lists the next currently scheduled performance for October 3, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

The schedule then continues with dates in Indianapolis, Charlotte and other U.S. cities.

That means the Gillette Stadium cancellation does not represent the cancellation of Sheeran’s entire North American tour.

The official schedule continues beyond Foxborough, with Atlanta currently serving as the next scheduled stop after the two canceled Massachusetts performances.

A Difficult End to a Complicated Gillette Stadium Weekend

The two Gillette Stadium concerts were supposed to be major moments for Sheeran’s *Loop Tour.

Instead, the weekend became the latest chapter in an unusually complicated stretch of his American tour.

First came the dispute surrounding Macklemore and the changing opening lineup. Then came complaints from ticket holders and intervention from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office over access to refunds.

And just as the two performances approached, a powerful nor’easter created a separate and immediate safety problem.

Ultimately, weather determined whether the Foxborough performances could go ahead.

For fans, the outcome is now painfully simple: neither the September 25 nor September 26 Ed Sheeran concert at Gillette Stadium will take place.

Refunds are available through the applicable point of purchase. Ticketmaster had already committed to refunds before the cancellation, while the tour promoter confirmed that refunds for the canceled shows would be handled through the original sellers.

It isn’t just musicians adding new stops to their calendars for 2027. A comedian known for her sharp, deadpan delivery just confirmed a Pennsylvania date of her own. For more, read our post on Taylor Tomlinson’s 2027 Hershey Theatre Tour Date Revealed as Nobody Asked You To Do That Heads to Pennsylvania

Conclusion

Ed Sheeran’s return to Gillette Stadium was supposed to bring two major nights of the Loop Tour to Foxborough. Instead, severe weather forced both September 25 and September 26 performances to be canceled, with fan and staff safety cited as the priority.

The cancellation came after an already complicated period involving Macklemore’s removal, changes to the supporting lineup, consumer complaints and a Massachusetts Attorney General intervention over refunds.

Now, with the Foxborough dates gone, Sheeran’s Loop Tour moves forward. His next scheduled stop is currently Atlanta on October 3, 2026, leaving the tour to continue after an unexpectedly turbulent run through the Northeast.

Disclaimer: This article has been prepared based on thorough research of the sources provided below, including statements and information from the tour promoter, Gillette Stadium, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, Ticketmaster, the National Weather Service and relevant reporting. Information concerning the separate Macklemore and Gaza controversy is presented as attributed claims or documented statements. The article reflects the information available from those provided sources and does not imply independent verification beyond what those materials support.

Sources

• CBS Boston – Ed Sheeran’s Gillette Stadium concerts canceled due to nor’easter
• Gillette Stadium – Ed Sheeran: LOOP Tour
• Ed Sheeran Official Tour Dates
• Massachusetts Attorney General – Ticketmaster refund announcement
• National Weather Service – Boston forecast and wind advisory
• Ticketmaster – Ed Sheeran LOOP Tour information
• Messina Touring – Official website
• Reuters – Ed Sheeran and the Macklemore/Gaza controversy
• The Hollywood Reporter – Gillette Stadium cancellation report

Featured Image Credit: Harald Krichel / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0