Macklemore announces new tour in support of Palestine
Macklemore, seen here on Aug. 30, says he's launching a tour of his own supporting Palestinians after being removed from the U.S. leg of English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran's tour. (Arnaud Finistre/ AFP via Getty Images)Social SharingMacklemore says he's launching a tour of his own after being removed as an opener for the U.S. leg of English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran's tour — and all proceeds from the shows will go to organizations supporting Palestinians.
Macklemore was dropped after the owners of several American venues threatened to cancel Sheeran's shows if the rapper continued as his opening act, according to a statement from Messina Touring Group, the promoter of the U.S. leg of the tour, to Rolling Stone magazine.
The rapper has openly expressed his pro-Palestinian views for years and has made similar remarks on different stages in the past.
"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 rapper wrote in a post on Instagram, adding that his schedule had "freed up a bit" since being removed as Sheeran's opening act.
He announced three October performance dates in Dublin, Paris and London, calling it the Free Palestine Tour. The poster says those shows will feature Macklemore "and friends." The rapper said U.S. dates will also be announced.
"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," his caption reads. "Artists who understand that our platforms mean very little if we’re only willing to use them when it’s safe."
According to a press release from Live Nation, the shows will benefit several Palestinian aid organizations, including Gaza Soup Kitchen, Palestinian Youth Movement, Jewish Voice for Peace and an UNRWA USA, the American committee of the UN agency dedicated to Palestinian refugees.
Sept. 4, 5: Macklemore opens for Sheeran on his Loop Tour. Videos from the performances show the rapper repeating "Free Palestine" to a cheering crowd and expressing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, drawing criticism from Israeli advocacy groups.
Sept. 6: The Israeli-American Council calls for Sheeran to remove Macklemore from the rest of the tour, writing, "A concert stage is not a platform for anti-Israel and antisemitic propaganda."
Sept. 7: Macklemore addresses the backlash surrounding his performances, writing on X, "Wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial."
Sept. 11: U.S. singer-songwriter Pink, who is Jewish, shares a post on Instagram, after she faced criticism for resharing a post calling for Macklemore's removal. In it, she writes that the post "said things in words I didn't write, and I wouldn't have chosen all of them," but defended her criticism.
Macklemore cut from Ed Sheeran U.S. tour after onstage 'Free Palestine' remarks
Sept. 14: Macklemore is officially dropped from the Loop Tour. The rapper puts out a lengthy statement on Instagram expressing sympathy for Sheeran, while also calling out his "apolitical" approach. He blames his ousting on businessman Robert Kraft, who owns Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, which was soon set to host Sheeran's show. Macklemore says Kraft's threats put Sheeran, his friend, in a difficult position.
(In a statement to CBC News, Kraft says Macklemore was dropped for his recent onstage comments and a "broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.")
Sept 15: The remaining Loop Tour openers and backing band drop out of their scheduled performances, in solidarity with Macklemore. Sheeran takes to social media to explain his perspective, confirming that Kraft and other venue owners said they'd "pull the shows" if Macklemore stayed on.
Sept. 16: Macklemore says he will donate all of his earnings from the Loop Tour to humanitarian organizations providing aid in Gaza, challenging Kraft, a billionaire, to do the same. Kraft releases his own statement saying he would donate $2 million US to "aid in the region" — without further details — to match Sheeran's own donation. Kraft says Sheeran asked him to do so "before Macklemore challenged me."
Sept. 19: Sheeran tearfully apologizes to fans in Philadelphia on the first stop of his tour without Macklemore and his other supporting acts, saying said he never wanted to be "an activist musician."
Griffin Jaeger is a reporter and producer with CBC's entertainment unit. He also formerly hosted and produced content for The National’s digital platforms. You can reach him at griffin.jaeger@cbc.ca
