Rapper Macklemore has announced a "Free Palestine" concert tour scheduled for October, with dates in Dublin, Paris, and London. All proceeds from these concerts are intended for organisations that support Palestinians.
This announcement follows Macklemore's departure from Ed Sheeran's US stadium tour last week. He was dropped from the tour after making onstage calls for a "free Palestine," telling crowds he wanted people in Gaza and "the occupied West Bank" to know they had not been forgotten.
Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, and organisations including the Israeli-American Council and the Anti-Defamation League, branded Macklemore's comments as hateful. Kraft reportedly told Sheeran that the show would be cancelled if Macklemore remained on the bill. Following his departure, all of Sheeran’s support acts, including Finneas, Aaron Rowe, and Lukas Graham, also withdrew from upcoming US tour dates.
Macklemore has since donated his $1 million earnings from his two performances on Sheeran's tour to organisations supporting Palestinians and urged Kraft to match his donation. His support for Palestine predates the recent tour controversy, with the rapper having spoken out on the conflict since the October 7 attacks and signing a petition created by Artists4Ceasefire.