Ed Sheeran was due to play two shows outside Boston, Massachusetts this weekend

Ed Sheeran US shows cancelled over 'severe weather'

· RTE.ie

Ed Sheeran's two concerts at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Friday and Saturday have been cancelled due to "severe weather warnings" and the impact on the "safety of fans, staff and everyone involved".

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In a statement posted on Instagram, the tour's promoter, Messina Touring, announced: "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.

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

The statement added that refunds were available for ticket holders at their point of purchase or would be issued automatically if tickets were bought via Ticketmaster.

Since his removal from Ed Sheeran's tour, Macklemore has announced his own European tour named Free Palestine, which will see him perform shows in Dublin, London, and Paris

Last week, Sheeran's Loop Tour saw all the special guests, including Irish artists Beoga and Aaron Rowe, withdraw after US rapper Macklemore was removed from the bill for comments he made about Gaza.

Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium, was among the people who contacted Sheeran and told him he would not be able to play the venue unless Macklemore was removed from the tour.

Sheeran said the decision was made by the tour's promoter and not by him.

He played his first gig since the row last Saturday, with a new backing band and his b-stage removed.

Sheeran told the audience at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that he had questioned whether he "wanted to be an artist at all" after the controversy.

He described what is happening in Gaza as "catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate" as he apologised for "making mistakes" following the controversy surrounding Macklemore's removal from his tour.

On Thursday, Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, announced a European tour named Free Palestine, which will see him perform shows in Dublin, London, and Paris.

Source: Press Association