Macklemore Announces “Free Palestine” Tour
BY SYDNEY CARPER
In mid-September, Macklemore revealed that Ed Sheeran and his team made the decision to remove Macklemore as an opener for Sheeran’s The Loop Tour after Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, rallied other stadium owners across the U.S. and came together to give Sheeran an ultimatum: Remove Macklemore from the tour, or you will not be permitted to play our venues. This decision came after Macklemore took some of his set time at Sheeran’s show at Met Life Stadium to speak out against Israel’s ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people and issue a call for a “Free Palestine”. An impassioned call for liberation that stadium owners viewed as too hurtful and too much of a liability to have play on their stages. In a powerful show of solidarity, Finneas, Lukas Graham, and Aaron Rowe quickly announced that after Macklemore’s removal, they will not be supporting acts on Sheeran’s tour any longer, with Sheeran’s touring band, Beoga, following suit.
This week, Macklemore announced his “Free Palestine” tour, currently consisting of three dates: Dublin on October 26th, Paris on October 29th, and London on October 30th. In a statement on Instagram, Macklemore shared:
“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.”
“I've spent the last week reaching out to 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. 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.”
The lineup of artists joining Macklemore on this tour is yet to be announced, but of note is Macklemore’s promise that all proceeds from these shows and all future “Free Palestine” tour dates will go towards organizations supporting the Palestinian people, including, but not limited to: Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, Middle East Children’s Alliance, and Gaza Soup Kitchen.
Tickets and all tour updates will be available through macklemore.com, with presale beginning September 28th at 10 am local and general sale on September 30th at 10 am local.
