Ed Sheeran’s two Gillette Stadium concerts remain scheduled for September 25th and 26th, but an approaching nor’easter has created a new threat to a weekend already reshaped by the loss of every advertised support act, schedule changes and an unusual refund intervention from Massachusetts officials.
As of late September 24th, Gillette Stadium continues to list both Loop Tour dates at the Foxborough, Massachusetts, venue. The current event page shows parking at 4:30 p.m., gates at 6:30 p.m. and an 8 p.m. event time. No cancellation has been announced by the stadium or Sheeran.
Behind the scenes, the weather is reportedly affecting preparations. Production sources told TMZ Thursday evening that stage construction had been paused while organizers considered whether to continue the build or begin taking it down. Another stadium source told the outlet that preparations for Friday were otherwise largely complete, with lighting still being tested.
No final decision was reported, and there is no confirmed information about rescheduling if either concert is called off. For now, the situation is a weather threat rather than a cancellation.
Foxborough Is Under a Wind Advisory
The concern goes beyond an entertainment-industry report. The National Weather Service has placed western Norfolk County, including Foxborough, under a wind advisory from 8 a.m. Friday through 2 a.m. Sunday.
Friday’s Foxborough forecast calls for northeast winds strengthening through the afternoon, with gusts potentially reaching around 40 mph as rain chances increase. Friday night could bring gusts approaching 45 to 50 mph as steadier rain moves through.
Conditions remain problematic Saturday, when rain and strong winds are expected to continue across the region. The advisory warns that gusty winds could bring down tree limbs and produce scattered power outages.
Those conditions matter differently at an open-air stadium than they would inside an arena. Rain alone does not automatically stop an outdoor concert, but wind can affect temporary staging, suspended lighting, video structures and other touring equipment before an audience ever enters the venue.
That gives the reported construction pause more significance than a concern about concertgoers getting wet. If wind conditions prevent the production from being assembled or operated safely, organizers face a stage and safety problem rather than simply an uncomfortable forecast.
The Shows Are Still Officially On
Until Gillette Stadium, Sheeran or the promoter announces otherwise, ticket holders should treat both concerts as scheduled.
Friday and Saturday remain on the stadium calendar, each with an 8 p.m. event time. Gillette’s event information also continues to display parking, gate, mobile-ticketing and transportation details.
There is one timing discrepancy worth knowing about. Gillette’s current pages list the concerts at 8 p.m., while the adjusted schedule reported locally after the opening acts withdrew put Sheeran’s performance at 8:30 p.m. Both sources agree that parking now begins at 4:30 p.m. and gates open at 6:30 p.m.
That makes the stadium’s own live event information the page fans should continue checking as Friday approaches, particularly because the schedule has already changed once.
TMZ’s report still adds an important piece of information by describing production activity before any public decision. The distinction is that paused construction and internal discussions about cancellation are not themselves a canceled concert.
The two nights may not necessarily receive the same decision either. Friday’s weather is forecast to deteriorate later in the day, while Saturday faces a longer period of rain and wind. Gillette has not announced what would happen if conditions affect one show but not the other.
A Four-Act Bill Became a Solo Show
The nor’easter arrives after the Gillette concerts had already changed dramatically.
Macklemore was originally scheduled for Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour dates but was removed following a dispute over pro-Palestinian statements he made during earlier performances. Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft said Macklemore would not be permitted to perform at his venue, citing rhetoric Kraft characterized as antisemitic. Macklemore has rejected accusations that his criticism of Israel is directed at Jewish people.
Sheeran later said removing Macklemore was not his decision and that he had attempted to find a solution. The dispute then spread through the rest of the bill.
Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga subsequently withdrew from Loop Tour dates, leaving Sheeran as the only scheduled performer at Gillette.
The disappearing support lineup forced a substantial timetable change. The Foxborough concerts were originally scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m., with parking at 1:30 p.m. and gates at 3:30 p.m. Parking has now moved to 4:30 p.m. and gates to 6:30 p.m., while special MBTA Commuter Rail service was adjusted around the later schedule.
That change now intersects awkwardly with the weather. Friday’s rain and wind are expected to increase later in the day, bringing the revised concert window closer to the period when conditions are forecast to deteriorate.
Lineup Changes Triggered a Refund Exception
Fans were already being given an unusual opportunity to get their money back before the nor’easter became the weekend’s immediate concern.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced September 24th that Ticketmaster would allow customers to request refunds after her office challenged how the company was handling the near-total change to the advertised lineup.
After receiving more than 170 consumer complaints, the Attorney General’s Office sent Ticketmaster a demand letter questioning its reliance on a purchase policy that ordinarily allows opening performers to change without triggering refunds.
Campbell’s office argued that changing nearly all of the advertised acts at the same time represented a sufficiently dramatic change that applying the usual no-refund rule appeared potentially unfair under Massachusetts consumer-protection law.
Ticketmaster subsequently told the state that the event organizer would permit refunds for tickets purchased through its platform. Requests must be submitted at least 24 hours before the scheduled concert.
Those refunds are specifically tied to the lineup changes, not the weather.
If a show is ultimately canceled or postponed because of the nor’easter, a different set of ticket rules would apply. Gillette’s standard policy says tickets purchased through its ticket office are eligible for face-value refunds when an event is canceled entirely and not rescheduled, while tickets remain valid when an event is moved to a new date.
For now, fans who no longer want the stripped-down version of the Loop Tour already have a refund path without waiting for a weather decision.
Demand Had Already Softened
The lineup dispute also changed the ticket market before weather entered the picture.
Numerous seats remained available heading into the weekend, including some priced below $75. Keith Pagello, founder of TicketData, told GBH that demand had softened while cautioning against claims that the stadium would be anywhere close to empty.
Floor tickets were also selling for under $150 through Ticketmaster as of Thursday, while newly authorized refunds created another way for inventory to return to the market.
Weather now adds a separate uncertainty. Some fans may be watching the forecast before deciding whether to travel to Foxborough, particularly with strong winds and rain expected around the concerts.
That makes final attendance difficult to judge from the remaining inventory alone. Ticket availability, refunds and the storm forecast are changing at the same time.
Gillette Has Been a Record-Setting Stop
The uncertainty is particularly notable because Gillette Stadium has been one of Sheeran’s most successful U.S. stadium stops.
The September 25th and 26th dates would be his eighth and ninth performances at the venue. His 2023 concert set Gillette’s single-show attendance record, which the stadium says still stands.
That show drew 71,723 people, according to contemporary attendance reporting, giving the current weekend a very different backdrop from a tour struggling to establish an audience in the market.
The Loop Tour itself supports Sheeran’s 2025 album Play. Gillette advertises an all-new stage design built around songs from the album alongside older fan favorites and material carried forward from his previous touring years.
That production detail matters more now than it ordinarily would. The stadium’s tour description emphasizes the new setup, while Thursday’s breaking report says work on the temporary stage was paused because of the approaching storm.
Sheeran has already performed a stripped-down version of the Loop Tour since losing the supporting bill, including last weekend’s Philadelphia stop. Gillette was supposed to continue that altered version of the tour before the weather created another problem entirely.
No Cancellation Decision Has Been Announced
The developments surrounding the Gillette weekend come from several separate events that now happen to overlap.
Macklemore’s removal involved a dispute over political speech, venue authority and tour management. The other performers separately chose to leave the bill. Massachusetts regulators intervened over refunds because the advertised lineup changed. The nor’easter is an unrelated weather event with its own safety and production consequences.
Late Thursday, weather has become the immediate issue.
Foxborough is under a wind advisory, the National Weather Service expects gusty conditions through the concert weekend and production preparations have reportedly been interrupted. None of that establishes that either show is canceled.
Gillette Stadium still lists Ed Sheeran for September 25th and 26th. Friday’s event remains on the official calendar, as does Saturday’s, and no cancellation announcement has been posted.
Until that changes, both concerts remain scheduled.