{"id":857491,"date":"2026-09-23T06:52:19","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T06:52:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/857491\/"},"modified":"2026-09-23T06:52:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T06:52:19","slug":"a-protest-is-set-to-take-place-before-ed-sheerans-concerts-at-gillette-stadium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/857491\/","title":{"rendered":"A protest is set to take place before Ed Sheeran\u2019s concerts at Gillette Stadium"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLocal News\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tEd Sheeran will perform Friday and Saturday in Foxborough as part of his Loop Tour.<\/p>\n

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\n\tRecording artist Macklemore, left, and Ed Sheeran, right. AP Photo\t<\/p>\n

Instead of an opening act, Ed Sheeran\u2019s Saturday concert at Gillette Stadium will be preceded by a pro-Palestinian protest \u2014 not sanctioned by the musician \u2014 outside the Foxborough venue.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The nonprofit Massachusetts Peace Action<\/a> plans to hold the protest<\/a> from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, ahead of Sheeran\u2019s scheduled 5:30 p.m. performance. Sheeran is also expected to perform at Gillette Stadium on Friday as part of his Loop Tour<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The protest is in response to Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft\u2019s<\/a> role in the decision to bar Macklemore<\/a> from performing at the venue after the rapper made pro-Palestinian remarks during a Sept. 5 concert in New Jersey, said Executive Director Brian Garvey.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a billionaire has this much economic and political influence, his personal decisions can have an outsized effect on public debate and who gets access to major public platforms,\u201d Garvey said in a statement to Boston.com.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The controversy has already reshaped Sheeran\u2019s tour.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After Sheeran posted on social media Sept. 15<\/a> about Macklemore\u2019s removal and attributed the decision to the tour\u2019s promoters, several scheduled opening acts announced they were leaving<\/a> the tour.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Irish acts Aaron Rowe and Beoga, the Danish band Lukas Graham, and Finneas, Billie Eilish\u2019s brother and collaborator, each said on Instagram that they would no longer participate.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sheeran addressed the controversy<\/a> during his Saturday concert in Philadelphia. He said he wants his music and shows to focus on unity and humanity \u2014 rather than politics \u2014 while also condemning the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel and calling the situation in Gaza \u201ccatastrophic and unjustifiable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to disappoint fans, and I\u2019ve 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,\u201d Sheeran said during his performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sheeran began the Philadelphia concert alone on stage without an opening act, although other musicians joined him later in the show. Before the concert, a small group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators congregated outside the Lincoln Financial Field.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The planned protest outside of Gillette Stadium is also tied to broader criticism of Kraft\u2019s public involvement in debates surrounding Israel and Palestine, Garvey said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur concern is that enormous private wealth can translate into enormous influence over elections, public debate, and ultimately American foreign policy,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tickets remain available for both of Sheeran\u2019s concerts this weekend. Ticketmaster listings<\/a> showed substantially more tickets available for Friday than Saturday, although both appear to have many spots still open as of Tuesday night.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fans on social media have reported receiving full refunds through Ticketmaster, with one Reddit user<\/a> sharing they used the \u201cchat\u201d feature on the platform to successfully request a refund for Saturday\u2019s show.<\/p>\n

No official refund policy was announced for the concert. Ticketmaster said event organizers determine the concert\u2019s refund policy.<\/p>\n

The communications teams for Sheeran, Kraft, and the stadium did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday afternoon.<\/p>\n

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