Macklemore announced he will launch the Free Palestine Tour this fall after he was removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour this month over his pro-Palestinian performance.
The “Thrift Shop” rapper took to Instagram on Monday and jokingly said his “schedule freed up a bit,” announcing three performance dates in Dublin, London and Paris next month.
“What happened to me is bigger than one artist or one stage,” he wrote. “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 performances are part of what Macklemore named the Free Palestine Tour, and the poster said it would be him “and friends.” He said he spent the last week reaching out to other artists to work out scheduling, but no other names had been announced as of Monday.
He wrote that there has “been a collective awakening around Palestinian liberation” and the expectations of artists.
“It’s 2026. Being apolitical during a genocide doesn’t work anymore,” Macklemore said. “People are asking artists to show up, educate themselves and be in community.”
All proceeds from the performances would benefit organizations supporting Palestinians, he said.
Robert Kraft intervenes
Macklemore, whose real name is Ben Haggerty, announced this month that U.S. venues gave Sheeran an ultimatum to remove him from the tour or they would cancel shows. Macklemore said New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft “rallied” other stadium owners after he took issue with his “Free Palestine” remarks during a show.
Sheeran confirmed that Kraft was among those who called him after Macklemore performed his antiwar song and the speech that preceded it at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey circulated online.
The situation surrounding Macklemore, Sheeran and Kraft made international headlines this month as many people debated not just Macklemore’s speech about the Israel-Gaza war, but also artists’ rights to express their views.
It began when Macklemore joined Sheeran’s “Loop” tour in New Jersey and performed “Hind’s Hall,” his song inspired by the antiwar protests at Columbia University in 2024. Macklemore made a speech before the performance that called for a “Free Palestine” and told Jewish members of the audience that his comments about the Israeli government were in no way about them. The performance of “Hind’s Hall” also included related images from pro-Palestinian demonstrations and the situation in Gaza.
Kraft did not deny Macklemore’s allegations in his own statement this month. He said Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts — which his entertainment group owns — seeks to create a welcoming environment for everyone. He took issue with Macklemore’s actions at the New Jersey show “and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.”
“Much of my time and attention for the last decade has been focused on the fight against antisemitism and hate of all kinds, and I feel a responsibility to stand up when I believe that line has been crossed,” Kraft said.
Kraft also said he was not trying to stifle Palestinian advocacy or diminish the suffering of Palestinians.
Kraft did not specifically refer to past actions of concern from Macklemore, but many people online brought up an incident in 2014, when Macklemore wore a costume that appeared to play on antisemitic tropes: a wig, a fake beard and a hooked nose. He wore it to the Grammys that year, saying he thought it would be fun to dress in disguise to talk to fans.
Macklemore apologized after the antisemitic stereotype was pointed out, saying he had been in touch with the Anti-Defamation League, an organization founded to combat antisemitism. The ADL accepted the apology, saying it took him “at his word that he did not have any ill intent,” according to The Guardian.
Ed Sheeran backlash
Sheeran faced a wave of backlash over his role as some commenters felt that he should have taken a stance on the war or at least Macklemore’s right to speak his opinion. All of Sheeran’s opening acts, as well as his house band, dropped out of their scheduled U.S. tour dates in solidarity with Macklemore and the Palestinian people.
Sheeran initially released a statement explaining his side of the situation and clarifying that it was not his choice to drop Macklemore. Sheeran said his promoters, who held the contract with Macklemore, made the decision as he tried to build bridges with venue owners.
Sheeran went on with his scheduled concert in Philadelphia on Saturday, tearfully addressing the crowd that showed up in spite of the criticism he faced.
“I’ve never wanted to be an activist musician,” he said. “But this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet.”
Israel launched its offensive in the Gaza Strip after the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and roughly 250 others were taken hostage. More than 73,000 people have been killed in Gaza during Israel’s military campaign, including at least 1,200 since a fragile ceasefire took effect in October, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Sheeran acknowledged the “horrific” Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas that started the war, but he went on to say that what has happened in Gaza as a result is “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate.”
“This is a humanitarian issue, and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore,” he said.
