Macklemore Announces ‘Free Palestine’ Tour After Ed Sheeran Tour Exit
publishers 22articles 25first reported 24 Sep, 15:44 UTCdeveloping since 24 Sep · 5 editions
Macklemore has announced a “Free Palestine” tour featuring three European concerts in October, days after he was removed as an opening act from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour following pro-Palestinian remarks onstage.
The rapper, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, is scheduled to perform in Dublin on October 26, Paris on October 29 and London on October 30. He said U.S. dates and additional performers would be announced later, with more tickets going on sale next week.
Macklemore said proceeds from the concerts would be donated to organizations supporting Palestinians. Announcing the tour Thursday, he described it as a response to efforts to restrict pro-Palestinian speech and said artists should use their platforms for more than entertainment.
During an early September performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Macklemore told the audience he had joined Sheeran’s tour partly to say “Free Palestine” in stadiums. He was removed from the lineup later that month. Robert Kraft, whose company owns Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, accused Macklemore of a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and said allowing him to perform there would cross a line.
Sheeran said the decision to remove Macklemore was made by his promoter rather than by him. All other support acts subsequently withdrew from Sheeran’s tour in solidarity with Macklemore. Sheeran later apologized for mistakes in his handling of the dispute and described the Israel-Gaza conflict as a humanitarian issue.
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