Macklemore is turning the controversy surrounding his departure from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour into a new run of shows centered on his support for Palestinians.
The rapper announced the Free Palestine Tour Thursday, with initial dates set for Dublin, Paris and London. Additional artists and U.S. dates will be announced soon, he said, with all proceeds from the tour set to benefit organizations supporting Palestinians. The Dublin date is scheduled for October 26, with the Paris and London dates to follow.
The announcement comes less than two weeks after Macklemore was removed from Sheeran’s Loop Tour following comments he made during a September 4 performance at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. Macklemore told the crowd that one reason he wanted to join the tour was to be able to say “Free Palestine” from stadium stages, and he performed his 2024 protest song “Hind’s Hall.”
Macklemore was subsequently dropped from the remainder of the U.S. leg of the tour. Sheeran has said the decision was made by the tour’s promoter, Messina Touring Group, after venues indicated they would not host the shows if Macklemore remained on the bill.
Several of Sheeran’s other supporting acts — including Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe and Beoga — subsequently withdrew from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore. Sheeran also incurred the ire of former Pink Floyd bass guitarist Roger Waters, a longtime supporter of Palestinian causes, who called him "a little prick" in a video about Macklemore’s removal from the Loop tour.
Sheeran has continued the Loop Tour, performing largely on his own after the supporting acts departed.
At his September 19 concert in Philadelphia, Sheeran addressed the controversy from the stage. He said he had made “mistakes” and apologized to fans, while also describing the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable.” Sheeran said he wanted his shows to be about “unity and humanity, not politics,” but acknowledged that the controversy had placed him in the middle of a debate over freedom of speech and the conflict.
Macklemore, meanwhile, said the experience had convinced him that artists should use their platforms to speak out even when doing so carries consequences.
“What happened to me is bigger than one artist or one stage,” he wrote in announcing the new tour. “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.”
He said he spent the past week reaching out to other artists who have publicly supported Palestinians and began discussing a new tour. Macklemore acknowledged that the project has come together quickly, with artists, schedules and other details still being finalized.
“But this is a moment of momentum, and there is work to be done,” he wrote. “So we’re going on tour.”
The first announced dates are in Dublin, Paris and London, with artist announcements and U.S. dates to follow. Macklemore is directing fans to his website to sign up for updates and first access to tickets. The presale is scheduled to begin Monday, September 28, at 10 a.m. local time, with the general on-sale beginning Wednesday, September 30, at 10 a.m.
