Macklemore is turning his highly publicized removal from Ed Sheeran’s stadium tour into a tour of his own.

The Seattle rapper announced Thursday, September 24, that he is launching the “Free Palestine Tour,” a new series of concerts beginning in Europe next month and designed to raise money for organizations supporting Palestinians.

The announcement comes shortly after Macklemore was removed from the remaining U.S. dates of Sheeran’s Loop Tour following controversy over pro-Palestinian statements he made during his opening performances.

Now Macklemore is taking the message that contributed to his removal and putting it directly in the name of his own tour.

“So, as you all know, my schedule freed up a bit,” Macklemore wrote while announcing the shows.

He then made his next move clear.

“This is a moment of momentum, and there is work to be done. So we’re going on tour.”

The first three shows are scheduled for Dublin on October 26, Paris on October 29 and London on October 30. Macklemore says North American dates will follow, while the other artists joining him will be announced later. (The Guardian)

Macklemore Is Building the Tour Around Palestine

The “Free Palestine Tour” isn’t simply a rebranded version of the dates Macklemore lost when he was removed from Sheeran’s lineup.

The new concerts are being organized specifically around Palestinian solidarity and fundraising.

Macklemore says he has spent the unexpected opening in his schedule contacting other musicians who have publicly supported Palestinians and are willing to use their own platforms to do the same.

The tour is being promoted as “Macklemore & Friends,” although the participating artists have not yet been revealed.

“Because of how quickly all of this has come together, a lot of the conversations, schedules and details are still being worked out,” Macklemore wrote.

That means the tour is still developing.

Three European dates are confirmed, but the complete lineup, North American schedule and ultimate number of concerts remain unknown. (The Guardian)

Proceeds Will Go to Palestinian Causes

Macklemore says proceeds from the concerts will benefit a collection of organizations involved in humanitarian relief, medical care, education, advocacy and community support connected to Palestinians.

Organizations identified as beneficiaries include Anera, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Heal Palestine, Taawon, Medical Aid for Palestinians, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, Middle East Children’s Alliance, Palestinian Youth Movement, Institute for Middle East Understanding, Glia, Jewish Voice for Peace and UNRWA USA.

According to the tour announcement, the organizations collectively represent different forms of work supporting Palestinians, ranging from medical assistance and humanitarian relief to advocacy and organizing. (The Guardian)

The charitable component continues a financial commitment Macklemore made during the original Sheeran controversy.

After being removed from the Loop Tour, Macklemore pledged $1 million from the money he expected to earn from the tour to organizations providing assistance in Gaza and supporting Palestinians. (Reuters)

The Tour Comes Directly Out of the Ed Sheeran Controversy

The timing and branding leave little ambiguity about what inspired Macklemore’s new tour.

He had originally been booked as an opening act on the U.S. leg of Sheeran’s Loop Tour.

Macklemore performed two dates before the arrangement unraveled.

During his September 4 opening set, the rapper used part of his performance to speak about Gaza and the occupied West Bank, telling the audience that Palestinians had not been forgotten and calling for a “free Palestine.”

The remarks triggered objections from some venue operators.

Macklemore was subsequently removed from the remaining dates. (The Guardian)

Sheeran later said he did not personally make the decision to remove Macklemore.

He said promoter Messina Touring Group made the call after venues indicated they would not host the concerts if Macklemore remained on the bill.

One of the most prominent figures involved in the controversy was Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium.

Kraft accused Macklemore of antisemitism, an accusation Macklemore has denied. Reuters reported that Kraft objected to Macklemore appearing at Gillette Stadium and that other venues also raised objections. (Reuters)

Macklemore Says the Issue Became Bigger Than Him

In announcing his new tour, Macklemore framed his removal as part of a broader dispute over artists, political expression and the power of wealthy venue owners and business interests.

“What happened to me is bigger than one artist or one stage,” he wrote.

Macklemore argued that expectations surrounding musicians have changed during the past several years and said audiences increasingly expect artists to address major humanitarian and political issues.

He specifically rejected the idea that artists should remain politically neutral.

“Being apolitical during a genocide doesn’t work anymore,” Macklemore wrote. “People are asking artists to show up, educate themselves and be in community.”

Macklemore has repeatedly characterized Israel’s conduct in Gaza as genocide. Israel rejects that characterization and says its military campaign has targeted Hamas following the October 7, 2023 attacks while accusing Hamas of operating among civilians. International legal proceedings over genocide allegations remain contested, and Macklemore’s description represents his stated political position. (Investing.com)

Other Artists Walked Away From Sheeran’s Tour

Macklemore’s removal didn’t end the controversy.

It expanded it.

Several other artists scheduled to participate in Sheeran’s tour withdrew in solidarity with Macklemore.

Finneas, Lukas Graham and Irish singer-songwriter Aaron Rowe pulled out, while Irish traditional group Beoga also withdrew from its planned involvement.

Their departures transformed what initially appeared to be a dispute over one opening act into a broader crisis surrounding Sheeran’s U.S. tour. (AP News)

Rowe connected his decision directly to his Irish identity and Ireland’s history, arguing that he needed to remain consistent with his beliefs.

The departures left Sheeran facing criticism from multiple directions.

Some people criticized the removal of Macklemore as censorship of pro-Palestinian speech.

Others defended the venues’ ability to decide what type of political messaging they would allow during concerts held on their property.

Still others argued that Sheeran himself was being blamed for a decision he said he did not make.

Sheeran Eventually Addressed Gaza From the Stage

When Sheeran returned to the stage in Philadelphia on September 19, he addressed the controversy publicly.

He told the audience he had never wanted to become an activist musician and described his concerts as places intended to bring people together rather than political rallies.

But he also directly addressed the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Sheeran described the devastation and civilian deaths there as “catastrophic and unjustifiable” and said the military response had become disproportionate.

At the same time, Sheeran condemned the October 7 attacks in Israel and acknowledged the suffering experienced by Jewish and Israeli communities.

He said people should be able to disagree while still sharing the same space. (AP News)

Sheeran also reiterated that he had attempted to mediate the dispute surrounding Macklemore but was ultimately unable to keep him on the tour.

The singer became emotional while addressing the audience, describing the personal fallout he experienced as the controversy intensified.

Macklemore Is Taking the Opposite Approach

The difference between the two artists’ approaches has become increasingly clear.

Sheeran has emphasized unity, dialogue and his discomfort with turning concerts into political spaces.

Macklemore is deliberately building a concert tour around a political cause.

Rather than backing away from the message that contributed to his removal, he has amplified it.

The phrase “Free Palestine” is no longer simply something Macklemore says during his set.

It’s the name of the tour.

And instead of attempting to return to Sheeran’s lineup, Macklemore is assembling his own group of performers who share his willingness to speak publicly about Palestinians.

That makes the tour announcement a significant escalation of a controversy that began with a few minutes of political commentary during an opening performance.

Macklemore Has Been Speaking About Gaza for Years

Macklemore’s position isn’t new.

He has been among the most outspoken American mainstream musicians supporting Palestinians since the Gaza war began following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel.

In 2024, he released “Hind’s Hall,” a protest song named after the Columbia University building occupied by pro-Palestinian student demonstrators and itself renamed by protesters in memory of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza.

Macklemore subsequently released additional music addressing the conflict and continued incorporating Palestinian imagery and messages into his performances.

His advocacy has earned praise from supporters and criticism from opponents, including accusations that some of his rhetoric has crossed into antisemitism.

Macklemore has denied being antisemitic and has said his criticism is directed at the Israeli government and its policies rather than Jewish people. (Reuters)

Gaza Artists Recently Painted a Mural of Macklemore

The controversy has also reached Gaza itself.

Artists Anne Redwan and Qusai al-Helo recently painted a mural of Macklemore amid the rubble of Gaza City.

The image showed the rapper wearing a Palestinian flag and raising his fist.

The artists said the mural was intended to thank Macklemore for publicly supporting Palestinians and keeping attention on Gaza despite the professional consequences he faced.

The mural appeared shortly after his removal from Sheeran’s tour, turning the dispute into an international story extending well beyond the music industry. (Reuters)

Now He’s Taking the Message Directly to Europe

The first stop on Macklemore’s new tour will be Dublin on October 26.

Paris follows October 29.

London follows October 30.

The decision to begin in Dublin is notable given the strong public support for Palestinians among many Irish musicians and the role Irish performers played in the Sheeran fallout.

Two acts connected to Sheeran’s tour — Aaron Rowe and Beoga — withdrew amid the controversy. (The Guardian)

The other performers joining Macklemore have not been announced, so it remains unknown whether any of Sheeran’s former support acts will appear on the “Free Palestine Tour.”

Any suggestion that Finneas, Lukas Graham, Rowe or Beoga has joined Macklemore’s new tour would therefore be premature unless one of the artists or organizers confirms it.

For now, Macklemore is promising “friends.”

Who those friends are remains one of the biggest unanswered questions surrounding the announcement.

North American Shows Are Coming

The European dates are only the beginning if Macklemore’s plans proceed as announced.

He says North American dates will be revealed later.

That could bring the controversy back to the same market where his removal from Sheeran’s tour began.

No U.S. cities or venues have yet been announced, and it remains unknown whether the new shows will encounter any of the venue disputes that affected his appearances with Sheeran. (Los Angeles Times)

Tickets for the initial European dates are scheduled to go on sale September 30, with fans being directed to Macklemore’s website for presale information. (Pitchfork)

A Tour Removal Has Become a Tour Launch

Less than two weeks ago, Macklemore’s future touring schedule suddenly had major holes in it.

Now he is filling those dates on his own terms.

The rapper lost the opportunity to perform before Sheeran’s stadium-sized audiences after his political remarks became unacceptable to venues involved in the tour.

Other musicians walked away in response.

Sheeran found himself defending decisions he said weren’t his.

Protests followed.

Millions of dollars in humanitarian donations were pledged.

And a disagreement over what an opening act said from a concert stage turned into a much larger argument over political expression in live music.

Macklemore has now decided what his next stage will look like.

It will not be politically neutral.

It will explicitly raise money for Palestinian causes.

It will include other artists willing to publicly associate themselves with the issue.

And it will carry the exact message that helped ignite the controversy in the first place:

Free Palestine.