Macklemore announces ‘Free Palestine’ tour after Sheeran row

Telegraph reportersThu, September 24, 2026 at 6:36 PM UTC

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Macklemore performing in Dublin last year - Kieran Frost/Redferns

Macklemore has announced a “Free Palestine” tour after he was removed from Ed Sheeran’s US shows over his views.

The American rapper, whose real name is Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, led a pro-Palestine chant during two of Sheeran’s concerts in New Jersey on Sept 4 and 5, leading to Robert Kraft, the owner of Gillette Stadium, demanding his removal from Sheeran’s Loop tour.

Mr Kraft, the pro-Israel billionaire owner of the New England Patriots American football team, told Sheeran he would not allow him to perform on his stage if Macklemore remained on the setlist.

But after the Seattle-born rapper was removed from the tour, all of Sheeran’s other support acts, including his own supporting band, dropped out in solidarity.

Macklemore, 43, has announced a fresh tour, kicking off in Dublin on Monday, Oct 26. Taking to Instagram, he said there had 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”.

Ed Sheeran and Macklemore attend the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards - Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur

“Being apolitical during a genocide doesn’t work any more. People are asking artists to show up, educate themselves and be in community. To use the stage for more than entertainment,” he wrote.

Sheeran was widely criticised for not stepping in to stop Macklemore from being removed from the tour, and failing to comment on the conflict at all.

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At a concert in Philadelphia on Saturday – his first with no backing acts – the 35-year-old broke down in tears and said “I’ve never wanted to be an activist musician.... But I am deeply worried about the idea of venues pre-approving content of performers.”

He condemned the Oct 7 attack as “horrific” and said that “what is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate”.

There will also be shows in Paris on Oct 29 and London on Oct 30.

A Palestinian artists paint a mural of Macklemore on a destroyed house in Gaza City to thank him for his support - Anadolu/ Abdalhkem Abu Riash

The Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) said: “Macklemore is entitled to advocate for Palestinian rights. However, concerns arising from the imagery that he has used and material in his recent performances must be taken seriously”.

The JLC challenged Live Nation, the company selling tickets for the tour, to “explain how they assessed the concerns about this event, and what steps they will take to ensure that Jewish audiences and staff feel safe and welcome.”

Macklemore said that his removal from Sheeran’s tour was “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 said that all proceeds from the tour would “benefit organisations supporting the Palestinian people and movement”.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”