Ed Sheeran concerts scheduled for the weekend at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is owned by billionaire Robert Kraft, known for his support of Israel, have been cancelled. These performances were set to take place at the same venue where Kraft had previously insisted on excluding Mac Miller from the tour due to his statements in support of Palestine.
The concert promoter Messina Touring announced on Friday morning via Instagram that the decision to cancel the shows was made after consultations with local authorities and due to severe weather warnings issued in Boston and across New England throughout the weekend. The company emphasized that the safety of attendees, staff, and all event participants was the top priority.
Messina Touring also notified that all tickets purchased through Ticketmaster will be automatically refunded, while refunds outside of Ticketmaster are available at the point of purchase.
The American tour of the British pop icon has been overshadowed by widespread international criticism after he excluded Mac Miller, who advocated for Palestine. In Philadelphia, where Sheeran performed for the first time after Miller's removal from the tour, he apologized to the audience, stating that Israel's actions in Gaza are 'unjustified.'
During his performance, Sheeran admitted: 'I have had to make difficult decisions, and I make mistakes, and I am so, so sorry.' Previously, Miller was supposed to open for Sheeran, but Kraft threatened to cancel Sheeran's stadium appearances if he remained on the tour and lobbied other stadium owners to exert pressure.
At the start of the concert at Lincoln Financial Field, Sheeran characterized the war in Gaza as 'catastrophic, unjustified, and disproportionate.' According to American media, the start of Sheeran's concert was delayed by two and a half hours due to the cancellation of all invited artists, and Sheeran performed alone.
Mac Miller's Concert in Support of Palestine is Planned
On Thursday, Miller announced the start of his own 'Free Palestine' tour, where he will be the headliner. The tour will begin next month in Dublin, Paris, and London, as he wrote in an Instagram post. He added that dates in the US and additional performers would be announced later, and the proceeds would be donated to organizations supporting the Palestinian people.
Miller stated: 'Being apolitical during a genocide no longer works. People are asking artists to show up, educate, and be part of the community. To use the stage not just for entertainment. To stand up when calls for Palestinian freedom are met with attempts to silence them.'
He also noted: 'A large part of why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so that I could stand in stadiums like these and say two words that mean so much to my heart: 'Free Palestine'. '
Miller mentioned that the stadium owners where Sheeran was scheduled to perform objected to these statements. He is an outspoken critic of Israel's attack on Gaza and the occupation of the West Bank.
Miller commented on the situation on Thursday: 'If the last couple of weeks have shown us anything, it's that something has changed in the last three years. There has been a collective awakening around Palestinian liberation, the power of billionaires trying to censor this call, and what we expect from artists right now.'
He added that his situation is 'bigger than one artist or one stage.' 'When a class of billionaires can decide whose voices are allowed to be heard on stage and whose are too dangerous, everyone should pay attention.'
Reasons for Excluding Mac Miller
The situation began when Miller, wearing a keffiyeh, performed for over 80,000 people at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey earlier this month, openly supporting Palestinians during his rendition of his anthem in support of Palestine, 'Hind's Hall.' Following this, Israeli lobbying groups in the US initiated a petition to pressure Sheeran to exclude Miller from future tour dates.
The rapper publicly stated on social media last week that he was removed from Sheeran's tour due to an ultimatum from billionaire and Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft.
Kraft stated in Israel in 2019: 'After my family, there is nothing that matters more to me than the State of Israel and my Jewish identity.'
Miller's announcement not only garnered huge support from fans and the international community but also led all invited artists on Sheeran's Loop tour to withdraw their participation in support of the rapper and the Palestinian people. These included Finneas, the Grammy winner and Billie Eilish's brother; Irish artists Aaron Row and Beoga; and the Danish group Lukas Graham.
Finneas wrote on Instagram on Tuesday that 'artists should not be silent when they speak for the oppressed,' adding: 'I support Palestine and its people.'
In subsequent days, Miller announced that he would donate the million dollars earned from previous Loop Sheeran tour concerts to six organizations supporting Palestinians. Following this, children's content creator on YouTube Ms Rachel announced that she would also donate a million dollars to the Palestinian Children's Aid Fund.