Macklemore claims nine U.S. arenas rejected Free Palestine tour
- Macklemore says nine major U.S. arenas declined his 'Free Palestine' tour.
- MSG stated the rejection was due to limited availability and the artist's status.
- The rapper claims he was previously removed from Ed Sheeran's tour over similar issues.
- Three sold-out European shows raised funds for Palestinian support organizations.
- Macklemore intends to continue organizing shows for the Palestinian cause.
Rapper Macklemore said on Friday that nine major concert venues in the United States have declined to host his upcoming Free Palestine tour. These rejections occurred between August and the present, according to recent reports.
The venues include Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, UBS Arena, Prudential Center, Crypto.com Arena, Intuit Dome, Kia Forum, Chase Center, and Climate Pledge Arena. Yahoo reported that the Chase Center specifically refused to host the tour.
Macklemore stated that billionaires decide which causes are acceptable and which voices are welcome.
Artist claims venue owners view tour as a threat
Macklemore said that he had received available dates at these arenas by mid-September. These dates were removed once the venues learned the events were benefit shows for Palestine.
He stated on Friday that he had never experienced anything like this in over 20 years of touring.
Regarding the rejections, Macklemore said, "The shows were not going to be allowed to happen in these venues". He added in a social media post, "We live in a country that prides itself on freedom of speech".
He continued, "Yet we've reached a point where a handful of billionaires can decide which causes are acceptable, which voices are welcome and which human lives are worth defending".
MSG cites limited availability and artist status
A representative for Madison Square Garden said the venue declined the tour because of limited availability and the assertion that the artist is not an "arena level act". A spokesperson for MSG Entertainment added that their properties are among "the busiest venues in the world with extremely limited availability" and claimed the artist is "not an arena-level act".
Representatives for the Kia Forum did not respond to requests for comment regarding the tour rejection claims.
Previous removal from Ed Sheeran tour
The musician stated he initiated the tour after being removed from Ed Sheeran's concert tour due to pressure from Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft. Macklemore was removed as an opening act in August after stadium owners reportedly objected to him saying "Free Palestine" on stage.
European tour success and charitable donations
Macklemore announced the Free Palestine tour on 24 September 2026. The tour featured three sold-out shows in Dublin, London and Paris during October.
Tens of thousands of people attended these performances. All proceeds from the tour were donated to organisations supporting the Palestinian movement.
Future plans for Palestinian cause events
Macklemore stated that he intends to work with other artists and organisers to hold further benefit performances for the Palestinian cause.
Context of the Israel-Gaza conflict
Israeli officials maintain that their military action in Gaza is justified as self-defence.
Background on Macklemore's discography
The artist released his third solo studio album, Ben, on 3 March 2023. This was his first album in six years following his 2017 release, Gemini.
Ben was recorded between 2020 and 2022. The album features guest appearances by artists including NLE Choppa, Tones and I, and DJ Premier.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Macklemore says 9 US arenas turned down his Free Palestine tour | The FADER (thefader.com)
- Macklemore says US venues rejected his Free Palestine tour (devdiscourse.com)
- Macklemore Says LA Arenas Rejected Palestine Benefit Tour (mynewsla.com)
- Macklemore (linkedin.com)
- Ben (Macklemore album) (Wikipedia — background) (en.wikipedia.org)
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