Macklemore is turning his recent exit from Ed Sheeran’s tour into a new series of benefit concerts, announcing the “Free Palestine” Tour just days after being removed from the U.S. leg of Sheeran’s Loop Tour.
The Seattle-born rapper, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, announced the new shows Thursday, saying proceeds will benefit organizations supporting Palestinians. The initial European dates are set for Dublin on October 26, Paris on October 29 and London on October 30, with additional U.S. dates expected to be announced.
Macklemore made a pointed reference to his departure from Sheeran’s tour while announcing the new run.
“So, as you all know, my schedule freed up a bit,” he said.
The announcement comes after Macklemore publicly voiced support for Palestinians during a September 4 performance at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium while opening for Sheeran. He used the stage to call for a “Free Palestine” and later performed his pro-Palestinian song “Hind’s Hall.”
Macklemore was removed from the remaining U.S. dates of Sheeran’s tour on September 14. Tour promoter Messina Touring Group said venues hosting upcoming shows had indicated they would not allow concerts featuring Macklemore to proceed. Sheeran subsequently said the decision was made by the promoter rather than by him.
The fallout continued beyond Macklemore’s departure. Several other support acts, including Finneas, Lukas Graham and Irish artists Aaron Rowe and Beoga, withdrew from the tour in solidarity with him.
Macklemore has now built his next set of performances around the same issue that triggered the controversy. The concerts will feature Macklemore alongside artists and friends, although the additional performers have not yet been announced. Organizers say the shows will center Palestine and Palestinians while raising humanitarian support.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, Macklemore said the events of the past several weeks represented what he described as “a collective awakening around Palestinian liberation” and questioned the influence of wealthy individuals over artists.
“What happened to me is bigger than one artist or one stage,” he said. “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 tour is currently scheduled to open at Dublin’s 3Arena, followed by Paris’ Accor Arena and London’s OVO Arena Wembley. Organizers have said more dates, including shows in the United States, will follow.
The proceeds are set to benefit a group of organizations working on humanitarian aid, medical care, education, advocacy and other forms of support for Palestinians, according to the tour announcement.
Macklemore’s new tour therefore picks up almost exactly where his Sheeran chapter ended — taking the message that cost him a spot on one stadium tour and putting it at the center of his own.
