Rapper Macklemore has announced a "Free Palestine" tour featuring live performances alongside musicians and collaborators, with proceeds directed to humanitarian organisations supporting Palestinians. The tour will visit Dublin on 26 October, Paris on 29 October and London on 30 October, with North American dates to be confirmed at a later date.
The announcement follows Macklemore's removal from Ed Sheeran's US stadium tour after he made pro-Palestine remarks during performances at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 4 September. During those shows, Macklemore called for a "free Palestine" and expressed solidarity with people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, while also performing the song "Hind's Hall" and displaying images documenting devastation in Gaza.
Venue owners subsequently refused to host any concerts featuring Macklemore on their properties. According to reporting on the dispute, promoters warned that US venues would not host the show if Macklemore remained on the lineup, a decision that could have resulted in tour cancellations affecting hundreds of thousands of fans. One prominent venue owner, Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots, publicly stated that Macklemore would not be permitted to perform at Gillette Stadium.
Sheeran declined to take responsibility for the removal, stating in a written response: "I am not complicit." The artist later clarified that the promoter, not he, made the decision to remove Macklemore from the tour. All four of Sheeran's remaining support acts—Irish songwriter Aaron Rowe, Finneas (Billie Eilish's older brother), Danish band Lukas Graham, and Irish traditional group Beoga—subsequently withdrew from the tour in protest.
In response to his removal, Macklemore posted a statement on Instagram explaining his decision to organise the benefit tour.
"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. It's 2026. Being apolitical during a genocide doesn't work anymore. 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. 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."
Macklemore added that his schedule had become available and he had been contacting
"artists who have shown up and used their stages to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, regardless of the consequences. Artists who understand that our platforms mean very little if we're only willing to use them when it's safe."He acknowledged that details were still being finalised, writing:
"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."
Why did support acts withdraw from Sheeran's tour?
Four opening acts left the tour in solidarity with Macklemore after his removal. Aaron Rowe, the Irish songwriter, explained his decision by referencing Ireland's historical experience with occupation. He wrote:
"As Irish people, we know all too well about genocide, forced famine and violent occupation. I need to be true to myself and my ancestors who resisted colonisation, and fought for a freedom that I enjoy today in Ireland."The departures of Finneas, Lukas Graham and Beoga followed similar reasoning, with multiple artists citing their commitment to free speech and solidarity with Palestinian causes.
How did Ed Sheeran respond to the controversy?
Sheeran returned to the stage in Philadelphia on 19 September to address the fallout. Reading from a teleprompter, he acknowledged his conflicted position:
"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 apologised for "making mistakes" without specifying what those mistakes were.
The Philadelphia show proceeded without opening acts, marking a significant change to the tour format. Small groups of pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside the venue, with some concertgoers having sold their tickets in protest. Sheeran expressed emotion during the performance, telling the crowd:
"Everyone is telling me to cancel, and I'm feeling all of my friends and family and people I know abandon me and I look at the end of the week and I see 50,000 people who haven't abandoned."
The controversy has had measurable consequences for Sheeran's public profile. Following the incident, the artist lost an estimated 500,000 followers across social media platforms in the days immediately after the removal announcement.
What organisations will benefit from the tour?
Macklemore's tour will direct proceeds to twelve humanitarian and advocacy organisations: Anera, Glia, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Taawon, Heal Palestine, Palestinian Youth Movement, Middle East Children's Alliance, Jewish Voice for Peace, Medical Aid for Palestinians, Institute for Middle East Understanding, Palestine Children's Relief Fund and UNRWA USA. According to the tour announcement, these organisations
"represent the array of work in support of Palestinian people. That includes medical care, humanitarian assistance, education, community support, advocacy, organising and media work connected to Palestinians."
What is Macklemore's financial commitment?
Beyond the benefit tour itself, Macklemore pledged to donate his entire $1 million net earnings from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour to six organisations supporting Palestinians and relief efforts in Gaza. This commitment represents a substantial personal financial contribution to the causes he has publicly championed.
What happens next?
The Free Palestine tour will begin in Dublin on 26 October, followed by Paris on 29 October and London on 30 October. North American dates are expected to be announced at a later date. Fans interested in attending can register for presale access through macklemore.com. Macklemore indicated that additional details regarding performers and logistics would be confirmed as planning progresses.
The tour represents a significant moment in the ongoing debate about artist activism, corporate influence over performance venues, and the role of musicians in political discourse. Macklemore's decision to transform his removal from Sheeran's tour into a platform for fundraising and solidarity has positioned the controversy as a broader conversation about free speech and artistic responsibility in the entertainment industry.
