Why Ed Sheeran may be forced to cancel concerts at Robert Kraft’s NFL stadium… and Macklemore tour drama is NOT to blame

Ed Sheeran might have to cancel shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts slated for Friday and Saturday for weather-related reasons, following a major controversy involving Macklemore and venue owner Robert Kraft.

Production insiders told TMZ Thursday that a storm in the Northeast had been disrupting the construction of Sheeran’s stage ahead of the shows, which had already made headlines after Macklemore had been dropped as an opening act over his politics.

After the set had been partially put together earlier Thursday, crew members had been instructed to hold off on continuing with the building, a source told the outlet.

Executives had not ruled out taking down the stage ahead of what is expected to be a combination of rain and wind that would make the show unworkable at the outdoor venue, and potentially damaging to the stage pieces.

A separate source at the venue said that all aspects of the stage had been primed for a show Friday, save for lighting. Workers at the venue had been testing the lights Thursday evening.

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Sheeran for further comment on the story.

No decisions have been declared as to whether the concert would be called off, and there was no indication of whether they would be postponed or canceled if the inclement weather persists, according to the outlet.

Macklemore said that his dismissal from the tour by Sheeran came after pressure from Kraft, in response to his pro-Palestinian messaging amid the ongoing conflict with Israel in the Mideast.

In support of Macklemore, a number of Sheeran’s opening acts and backup musicians had dropped off tour dates. 

They included the group Beoga, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Billie Eilish’s brother Finneas. 

Sheeran last Saturday addressed the issue during his show in Philadelphia at Lincoln Financial Field, saying his messaging was not generally geared toward politics.

‘I don’t want to disappoint fans, and I’ve never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet,’ Sheeran said.

Macklemore earlier Thursday announced a series of Free Palestine tour dates beginning next month, with the proceeds earmarked to benefit groups providing aid to Palestinian causes.

‘If these last couple of weeks have shown us anything, it’s that something has shifted over the last three years,’ Macklemore said on Instagram. ‘There has been a collective awakening around Palestinian liberation, the power of billionaires that try to censor that call, and what we expect from artists right now.’

He added, ‘When the billionaire class can decide which voices are allowed on stage and which ones are too dangerous to hear, everyone should be paying attention.’

Efforts by those who purchased tickets were already under way to obtain refunds after Sheeran had dropped Macklemore as his opening act for his North and South America tour dates. 

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell announced in a news release on Thursday that Ticketmaster had said it will honor hundreds of refund requests for the Gillette Stadium shows amid the controversy.

‘After hearing from nearly 200 consumers who were struggling to obtain refunds from Ticketmaster for Ed Sheeran’s shows at Gillette Stadium this weekend,’ Campbell said, ‘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.

‘I encourage anyone who wants a refund to act quickly and submit their request at least 24 hours before showtime.’