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Ed Sheeran’s Saturday night concert in Las Vegas was postponed at the last minute due to “technical issues”, leaving thousands of fans stranded in the sweltering heat outside the city’s Allegiant Stadium.
“I can’t believe I’m writing this but there were some challenges loading our show in Vegas,” Sheeran wrote on Instagram as the show’s concert approached. “It’s impossible to go on with the show. I am so sorry. I know this is what everyone came for and I wish I could change it. The performance will be postponed to Saturday, October 28th and all tickets purchased will remain valid for this date. I am so sorry.”
On Sunday afternoon, Sheeran shared more information about what led to the postponement. His Instagram post included a clip from a report from The Sun that said there was a “soil issue.”
“The rubber tiles had come loose, causing two tall towers to slide down about a foot each overnight,” reports The Sun. “Engineers tore the facility apart and strengthened the towers, but it was still found that both were moving at Allegiant Stadium in Nevada, leading to Saturday’s late cancellation.”
“A little more context on yesterday’s cancellation. It was a safety issue and we really tried to do our best to make the show happen, but I won’t compromise the safety of my fans for anything,” Sheeran added in his caption. Fans may receive a refund or return to the rescheduled October 28 date.
“However, it won’t take anything away from the effort people made to get to Vegas, and I’m sorry the folks waiting outside weren’t told sooner,” he continued. “Up until the last moment we really thought the show was going to happen, but for safety reasons it just couldn’t happen. Apologies again to all those affected and we hope to see you in October x.”
Prior to the last-minute rescheduling, thousands of Sheeran fans — many of them traveling from other cities as people traveled specifically to Las Vegas for the show — had already arrived at Allegiant Stadium and queued for hours outside the venue. With temperatures exceeding 90 degrees, some fans required medical attention for heat-related issues, the Clark County Fire Department told 8 News Now. One person was transported to a local hospital.
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“We were just worried about safety and communication,” one fan told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “It was unacceptable that we had to be the ones who had to take people to the doctors and tell people the event was cancelled.” (Fans didn’t learn the show was postponed until 5:30 p.m. when Sheeran posted his Instagram statement.)
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, stadium officials have been told that 65,000 tickets have been sold for the Sheeran show, making it the biggest concert ever at Allegiant Stadium. However, Sheeran’s complex stage setup — a 360-degree video screen, sound towers — resulted in “production issues” that delayed and eventually postponed the show. (Sheeran reportedly signed autographs for those who made it to the venue despite the delays.)
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Citing “technical issues,” Allegiant Stadium said in a statement, “We apologize for the delay and inconvenience caused to all Ed Sheeran fans who were expecting a concert tonight.” Updates were given to those waiting outside as well as to ours social channels, our website and the venue app as soon as possible. The stadium doors opened at 5:05 p.m. to get the fans out of the heat and we have made sure that anyone who needs help gets it.”
This article was updated at 7:02 p.m. to further explain the technical issues that led to the postponement of Saturday’s show.