The nor’easter that hit the Northeast from September 25 to 28, 2026, wiped out one of the fall’s busiest live music weekends. Organizers canceled the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park, the three-day All Things Go NYC festival in Queens, and both of Ed Sheeran’s concerts at Gillette Stadium, shutting out tens of thousands of ticketholders across two states.
Key Takeaways
- The Global Citizen Festival cancellation was the event’s first in 14 years.
- Ms. Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean had been set to headline Global Citizen with a 30th-anniversary celebration of the Fugees’ album The Score.
- All Things Go NYC, which had sold out its three-day passes, canceled its entire September 25–27 run at Forest Hills Stadium.
- Tour promoter Messina Touring canceled Ed Sheeran’s September 25 and 26 Loop Tour shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
- Wind gusts in New York City reached 45 mph citywide and 55 mph at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Saturday.
- Governor Kathy Hochul declared a State of Emergency covering New York City, Long Island and Westchester.
Global Citizen Festival Calls Off Its Central Park Show for the First Time in 14 Years
The Global Citizen Festival was scheduled for Saturday, September 26, on the Great Lawn in Central Park. On Friday, organizers announced that they had decided, in consultation with the City of New York and NYC Parks, to cancel. “Forecasts predict dangerous conditions and circumstances in which we cannot safely bring tens of thousands of Global Citizens, artists, crew, vendors, partners, and staff onto the Great Lawn, let alone all of the equipment required,” organizers said.
The lineup was among the festival’s strongest in years. Hugh Jackman was set to host, with performances from Ms. Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, Lenny Kravitz, John Legend, Lainey Wilson, Shaboozey and TOMORROW X TOGETHER, plus appearances by Alicia Keys and Victoria Monét. Organizers said they had spent the week working through contingency plans before deciding none were workable, and that the festival will return to Central Park next year.
The Great Lawn itself was part of the calculation. In 2023, the festival went ahead during a torrential downpour, and the lawn suffered serious damage. This time, crews dismantled the stage before the storm arrived.
All Things Go NYC Loses Its Entire Three-Day Weekend
All Things Go NYC was scheduled to hold its third New York edition from September 25 to 27 at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens. Organizers canceled the full event after talks with local officials, the venue and weather advisers.
The festival had one of the fall’s most talked-about lineups. Zara Larsson was set to headline a festival for the first time, alongside Brandi Carlile, MUNA and Lola Young. Carly Rae Jepsen had a sunset set on Sunday. Ethel Cain was scheduled as Saturday’s co-headliner, with the show also serving as the final date of her tour. Three-day passes had sold out well before the weekend.
Ed Sheeran’s Gillette Stadium Dates Fall to the Storm
The storm reached into New England as well. Ed Sheeran was scheduled to bring his Loop Tour to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on September 25 and 26. His promoter, Messina Touring, canceled both shows on Friday. The promoter cited severe weather warnings across Boston and New England and said the decision followed consultation with local officials. Local forecasts for Foxborough called for up to 2 inches of rain and wind gusts of 40 mph.
The two Gillette Stadium dates were significant for the tour. Sheeran set the venue’s single-show attendance record in 2023 with a crowd of 71,723.
A Storm That Reached Beyond the Concert Calendar
The cancellations played out against a regional emergency. Governor Hochul’s State of Emergency covered eight counties: the Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Queens, Richmond, Suffolk and Westchester. New York City issued a Travel Advisory from Friday afternoon through Sunday morning.
Other large events were also affected. Sneaker Con was canceled, and the New York Yankees’ final regular-season game was called off because of weather. Not everything stopped, though. The 25th Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk went ahead Sunday morning, with organizers telling runners to dress for rain.
Weather Cancellations Are Becoming a Recurring Cost for Live Events
The weekend’s losses are part of a pattern that has grown throughout 2026. In June, a fast-moving storm shut down multiple outdoor shows across New York City in one night, including Governors Ball and a Bright Eyes concert at Forest Hills Stadium. In July, Noah Kahan canceled a sold-out Forest Hills show minutes before it was set to start, with thousands of fans already inside, because of severe thunderstorms and high winds.
Each cancellation hits the same groups. Fans lose travel and hotel costs that ticket refunds do not cover. Crews, vendors and venue staff lose shifts they had planned around. Promoters absorb production costs for stages that are built and then taken down without a show. Outdoor festivals face the most exposure because they depend on open lawns, temporary structures and large crowds moving through spaces with limited shelter. Planning for outdoor events has already grown more complex, as seen in the security and logistics planning behind this summer’s outdoor events on the National Mall.
For organizers, the lesson from this weekend is that safety decisions increasingly have to be made days in advance, based on forecasts rather than conditions on the ground. Global Citizen, All Things Go and Messina Touring all canceled on Friday, before the heaviest rain and wind arrived.
FAQs
Why was the 2026 Global Citizen Festival canceled?
Organizers canceled the festival because forecasts for the nor’easter called for dangerous weather in New York City. The decision was made in consultation with the City of New York and NYC Parks, and it was the festival’s first cancellation in 14 years.
Will the Global Citizen Festival return to Central Park?
Organizers said the festival will be back in Central Park next year. They have not yet announced a date or lineup.
Was All Things Go NYC 2026 canceled?
Yes, all three days of All Things Go NYC at Forest Hills Stadium, scheduled for September 25 to 27, 2026, were canceled because of the nor’easter. Organizers made the decision after talks with local officials, the venue and weather advisers.
Why were Ed Sheeran’s Gillette Stadium concerts canceled?
Tour promoter Messina Touring canceled the September 25 and 26 shows in Foxborough, Massachusetts, because of severe weather warnings across Boston and New England. The promoter said the decision was made after consulting local officials, with the safety of fans and staff as the priority.
How strong was the nor’easter in New York City?
Wind gusts reached 45 mph across New York City and 55 mph at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Saturday. Governor Hochul declared a State of Emergency covering New York City, Long Island and Westchester.
