Macklemore has expressed being deeply “blown away” by the overwhelming response to his upcoming UK and European ‘Free Palestine’ benefit tour, while teasing that the full line-ups for the scheduled dates are “coming soon”.
The rapper announced the trio of benefit concerts last week, just days after he was controversially dropped from Ed Sheeran’s North American ‘Loop’ tour following an on-stage expression of his pro-Palestine stance.
Set to take place at Dublin’s 3Arena on October 26, Paris’ Accor Arena on October 29, and London’s OVO Arena Wembley on October 30, all proceeds from the concerts will be directed to 12 organisations dedicated to medical care, humanitarian assistance, education, advocacy, and community support for Palestinians.
Macklemore stated that he had personally reached out to “artists who have shown up and used their stages to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, regardless of the consequences” to join the brief tour.
“Artists who understand that our platforms mean very little if we’re only willing to use them when it’s safe,” he added, jokingly noting that his “schedule [had] freed up a bit”.
Since then, Macklemore has taken to social media to express gratitude to his fans after “all three shows sold out immediately”.
He elaborated: “I’m honestly blown away. We put these shows together fast and in community, believing that musicians can stand in solidarity with Palestine, use the stage to raise funds and show what collective action can look like.
“When those in power try to silence our calls for liberation, art will always be a form of resistance.”
The artist went on to say: “Dublin, Paris and London, thank you for showing up the way you did. The response to these shows is another reminder of how many people across the world are standing together for a free Palestine.”
Concluding his statement, he teased that the line-ups for the three concerts would be “announced soon”.
When initially announcing the tour, Macklemore reflected on the rapid shifts in the cultural and political landscape over recent weeks. “If these last couple of weeks have shown us anything, it’s that something has shifted over the last three years,” he wrote. “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.”
He added: “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.”
The chain of events began last month when Macklemore delivered an impassioned speech during his opening set at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
He advocated for “all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality,” addressed audiences in Gaza and the West Bank to state that “we have not forgotten about them,” and declared “Free Palestine” before performing his 2024 protest track ‘Hind’s Hall’ alongside footage from Gaza.
Following backlash from figures such as Pink and the Israeli-American Council, Macklemore defended his remarks, asserting that “wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial”.
Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft subsequently objected to Macklemore performing at Sheeran’s later shows at the venue.
The rapper then announced that he had been removed from the remainder of the tour, claiming Sheeran had informed him that Kraft and other stadium owners had objected to his presence on the line-up. This decision prompted a major backlash, leading all of Sheeran’s remaining support acts and his backing band to withdraw from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
Macklemore subsequently pledged his entire $1 million earnings from Sheeran’s tour to six organisations supporting Palestinians, writing to Kraft: “Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting.” Kraft later confirmed a $2 million contribution to humanitarian aid in the region.
When Sheeran returned to the stage in Philadelphia on September 19, he apologised for “mistakes” in his handling of the controversy, and revealed that the fallout had left him questioning whether he wanted “to be an artist at all”. The scandal took an unexpected turn last week when Sheeran’s scheduled gigs at the Gillette Stadium were cancelled after all – due to “severe weather warnings” in the area.
The controversy has continued to draw responses from across the music world. During a recent interview with NME, Tom Morello praised Macklemore for refusing to retreat from his stance, arguing that “courage is contagious”.
Sheeran has faced backlash from SNL UK, too, with guest host Amelia Dimoldenberg branding him a “red-headed puppet”. Further criticism has come from Charlotte Church, Greta Thunberg, Billy Bragg, and more. Elsewhere, Bob Geldof defended the star, but said he “really admire[d] Macklemore” and those who had walked away from the tour.
Sheeran’s former support act Aaron Rowe said that anger over the situation should instead be aimed at “the likes of Robert Kraft”.
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