Ed Sheeran is apparently thinking out loud and blaming a safety issue for the last-minute cancellation of his Las Vegas concert over the weekend.
The “Shape of You” and “Bad Habits” hitmaker bailed on his Saturday-night concert at Allegiant Stadium less than an hour before showtime, citing “some challenges encountered during the load” of the stage that made it “impossible to go forward with the show.” He also pushed the date to Oct. 28 and apologized to fans for the inconvenience.
However, some attendees took him to task, saying that he should’ve canceled the concert hours earlier instead of making fans wait in the scorching desert heat only to be let down before showtime. A fan told a local news outlet that people reportedly vomited and passed out while waiting outside during the delay.
On Sunday, the “Perfect” singer, whose nice-guy rep precedes him, provided “a little more context” to a U.S. Sun report circulating about the concert fail, even screen-shotting and posting an excerpt from the article to make his point. The report said that a flooring problem was flagged during setup and that towers had to be rebuilt, but were still shifting overnight. Sheeran and his crew allegedly “battled for 24 hours to salvage the show,” the report said.
“It was a safety issue, and we really tried to do the best we could to make the show happen but I’m not gonna risk the safety of my fans for anything,” Sheeran wrote in the caption of the Instagram post.
“I really am gutted, this was very much out of my control but I do take full responsibility for everyone that was put out from the cancellation,” he added.
The 32-year-old said refunds are available at point of purchase and rescheduled the Las Vegas show for Oct. 28 “if people still want to come.”
“I promise it will be special. Nothing will take away from the effort people went to to get to vegas though and I’m sorry it wasn’t communicated sooner to the people waiting outside,” he wrote. “We really thought the show was going to happen up until the very last moment but it just couldn’t for safety reasons. Sorry again to everyone affected, and hopefully see you in October x”
But some people took him to task in the post’s comments sections, riding him about money they had spent on travel and hotels and for letting fans languish outdoors in nearly 100-degree weather. However, many others defended his decision to reschedule given the growing number of harrowing concert tragedies challenging live performances.
“For those complaining, would you have complained if the towers fell on you? Probably not for obvious reasons,” one user wrote.
“As someone who would’ve been on that floor, I appreciate you taking everyone’s safety into consideration. See you next month!,” a concert-goer wrote.
“Shows are canceled all the time. The entitlement from people is ridiculous. You traveled to Las Vegas where there is so much to do. You cannot go forward with safety issues,” another added.
“Can you imagine the outrage that there would have been if the show had continued and people got hurt or worse? Especially if it came out after the fact that they knew about the problem in advance! The right decision was made and although fans are disappointed, disappointment is better than physical injuries,” another person said.
Others pointed to the heat issue, citing problems with the stadium design and applauding Sheeran for greeting fans in person in lieu of going on with the show.
“all the people complaining about having to wait outside in the heat and getting heat illness.. sounds like more of an issue with a poorly designed queue area for a stadium in the middle of the literal desert… absolutely zero shade cover, what the hell?” said the comment. “They spent all their money on air conditioning a giant stadium that they couldn’t put trees or awnings in I guess … none of that is Ed’s fault tho, y’all need to have some sympathy. If you’re ready to drop him over some poor communication then you’re not a true fan. If feel for all the people that got stuck out there, I’d be pissed too. But I wouldn’t blame it on Ed. If you know what Ed’s about you know he would never intentionally disrespect his fans.”
“What other artist comes out and greets fans bc the show was cancelled?? We don’t deserve you Edward,” added another.
Sheeran might have disappointed thousands of fans but certainly made one couple’s day. The musician made a surprise appearance at Sin City’s iconic Little White Wedding Chapel, where he debuted his new song “Magical” alongside a real-life bride and groom.
“Crashed a wedding, this is Magical x” he wrote, captioning a video of the performance.
Sheeran stopped by the venue to perform for Jordan and Carter Lindenfield and also signed their marriage license as a witness to the nuptials, according to local news station KVVU-TV Fox 5.
“THANK YOU SO MUCH for the most magical day of our lives 😭 we’ll truly never forget this or the wedding advice you gave us ❤️❤️❤️,” the bride commented on Sheeran’s video.