US rapper Macklemore has announced a new “Free Palestine” tour, bringing together musicians and friends for a series of benefit concerts intended to raise money for humanitarian organisations supporting Palestinians.
The initial European run will include performances in Dublin, Paris and London, with a North American leg expected to be announced later.
The announcement follows weeks of controversy surrounding Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, after he was removed from Ed Sheeran’s US stadium tour following remarks in support of Palestinians during a September 4 performance.
During that appearance, Macklemore called for a “free Palestine” and told people in Gaza and “the occupied West Bank” that “we have not forgotten about them.”
The remarks were followed by venue owners refusing to host concerts featuring Macklemore, resulting in his removal from Sheeran’s tour. Sheeran subsequently distanced himself from responsibility for the decision, saying in a written statement: “I am not complicit.”
The fallout widened when Sheeran’s remaining supporting acts — Aaron Rowe, Finneas and Lukas Graham — withdrew from the tour. Irish traditional group Beoga, which had been due to accompany Sheeran during portions of his performances, also pulled out.
Announcing his own benefit tour on Instagram, Macklemore said recent events demonstrated a broader change in public expectations of musicians and their willingness to speak about Palestine.
“If these last couple of weeks have shown us anything, it’s that something has shifted over the last three years,” he wrote, referring to what he described as “a collective awakening around Palestinian liberation” and efforts by wealthy interests to censor such advocacy.
“It’s 2026. Being apolitical during a genocide doesn’t work anymore,” Macklemore continued. “People are asking artists to show up, educate themselves and be in community. To use the stage for more than entertainment.”
He argued that the controversy surrounding his removal went beyond his own circumstances, adding: “What happened to me is 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.”
Proceeds from the newly announced concerts are intended to support humanitarian causes in Palestine.