Grammy-winning rapper Macklemore has announced a tour in support of Palestine after being dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour. The tour was announced on Thursday with shows set to take place in Dublin, Paris and London in late October.
On September 4, Macklemore, who was one of Sheeran’s opening acts, announced his support for Palestine. “A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: ‘Free Palestine’ … My message is for peace; love for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality,” Macklemore told the audience at the time.
The rapper, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty then performed a song dedicated to pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University.
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Soon after that, Macklemore said he was dropped from the Ed Sheeran tour. Venue owner Robert Kraft later confirmed that Macklemore was barred from performing at his Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and accused the rapper of antisemitism.
Kraft is a billionaire who has donated to several Israeli causes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu–who has been accused by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity for his actions against Gaza –had in 2019, had said that Israel did not have a “more loyal friend” than Kraft.
Sheeran early on said that the decision to drop Macklemore from his tour was made by concert promoter Messina Touring Group. His early remarks led all of his support acts to drop out of the tour in solidarity, and fans also expressed frustration.
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Macklemore said that in his latest tour, he will be joined by other musicians and will announce their names soon. He added that US shows are currently being organised. He said all proceeds raised from the tour will be donated to causes supporting the Palestinian people and the wider movement.
“If these last couple of weeks have shown us anything, it’s that something has shifted over the last three years,” Macklemore said in a statement.
“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. It’s 2026. Being apolitical during a genocide doesn’t work anymore,” he continued.
“People are asking artists to show up, educate themselves and be in community. 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.”