Macklemore announces 'Free Palestine Tour' after being dropped as Ed Sheeran's support act | indy100

Macklemore

Macklemore has announced his 'Free Palestine Tour' after he was dropped from performing as a support act on Ed Sheeran's US tour over making pro-Palestine comments on stage.

"If these last couple of weeks have shown us anything, it’s that something has shifted over the last three years. There has been a collective awakening around Palestinian liberation, the power of billionaires that try to censor that call, and what we expect from artists right now," Macklemore said sharing the news.

Macklemore dropped from Ed Sheeran tour

Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images and Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for for iHeartRadio

Following his axing, the rapper - real name Ben Haggerty, - claimed Sheeran had told him Robert Kraft, CEO of the Kraft Group and owner of the Gillette Stadium, personally called the singer to tell him the rapper would not be allowed to perform at the venue, something which Kraft then confirmed.

This then led to the rest of Sheeran's support acts, Billie Eilish's brother Finneas, Irish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe, Danish band Lukas Graham and Irish folk band Beoga who perform with Sheeran, to all drop out of the tour in solidarity with Macklemore and Palestine.

Sheeran shared a lengthy statement on social media in response where he said, "Macklemore coming off tour was the promoter's decision, it was not mine."

The 'Shape of You' singer later cried on stage during a gig in Philadelphia as he spoke to fans in his first show since the Macklemore Palestine controversy.

"I don't want to disappoint fans and I've 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," he said.

'Free Palestine Tour' - where is Macklemore touring?

Macklemore

Now in his tour announcement, Macklemore described how in the year 2026 "being apolitical during a genocide doesn’t work anymore," as audiences expect artists to "show up, educate themselves and be in community," and to "use the stage for more than entertainment. To push back when the call for a Free Palestine is met with attempts to silence it."

His 'Free Palestine Tour' will take place next month with three dates in Dublin (October 26), Paris (October 29), and London (October 30), and while US dates haven't been confirmed yet, they are coming.

All proceeds will benefit organizations supporting the Palestinian people and movement.

Who is Macklemore touring with?

Macklemore

In the announcement, it does say "Macklemore and friends" so we can expect other artists to join him, but those have not yet been announced but news is "coming soon."

The rapper said, "What happened to me is bigger than one artist or one stage. When the billionaire class can decide which voices are allowed on stage and which ones are too dangerous to hear, everyone should be paying attention."

Referencing the recent controversy, Macklemore quipped, "So, as you all know, my schedule freed up a bit."

He then shared how he's spent the past week reaching out to artists "who have shown up and used their stages to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, regardless of the consequences.."

"Because of how quickly all of this has come together, a lot of the conversations, schedules and details are still being worked out. But this is a moment of momentum, and there is work to be done."

How can I get tickets?

To get your hands on tickets, you can sign up at macklemore.com.

Presale starts next Monday (September 28) at 10am local, while the general sale will take place next Wednesday (September 30) at 10am local.

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