US rapper Macklemore has announced a new series of concerts under the banner "Free Palestine Tour," saying all proceeds will benefit organisations supporting Palestinians.
The Grammy-winning artist said on Thursday the tour will begin with shows in Dublin on October 26, Paris on October 29 and London on October 30. Additional artists and US dates will be announced later.
"What happened to me is bigger than one artist or one stage," Macklemore said in a statement posted on social media.
"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."
Macklemore was removed from British singer Ed Sheeran's US tour after performing his pro-Palestinian song "Hind's Hall" and calling for a "Free Palestine" during concerts in New Jersey earlier this month.
"A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: 'Free Palestine,'" he said on stage then.
Premature address
After Macklemore was removed from the tour, Sheeran said the tour's US promoter made the decision after venues objected to Macklemore's participation, adding that he had spoken with the venues to find a solution.
Following this, Sheeran faced boycott calls, and other artists pulled out from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
Sheeran addressed the controversy again at a Philadelphia concert on September 19, saying he considered the situation in Gaza "catastrophic and unjustifiable" while stressing that he wanted his concerts to remain spaces focused on unity rather than politics.
Macklemore has been an outspoken supporter of Palestinians since Israel's genocide in Gaza began. In 2024, he released "Hind's Hall," named after a Palestinian girl killed in Gaza, and pledged proceeds from the song to humanitarian organisations supporting Palestinians.
