Macklemore has announced that all three dates of his Free Palestine Tour have sold out immediately, with shows in Dublin, Paris, and London booked solid ahead of their October run. The rapper says the response is proof that people around the world are standing together for a free Palestine.
The tour opens in Dublin on Oct. 26, moves to Paris on Oct. 29, and closes in London on Oct. 30. U.S. dates will be announced in the future.
Why Macklemore Was Removed From Ed Sheeran’s Tour
Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s stadium tour after voicing support for the Palestinian people onstage. In a speech at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, he said the tour was meant to let him say two words that matter to him: Free Palestine.
“I want those words to be loud and clear, so that people all the way in Gaza to the occupied West Bank know that we have not forgotten about them,” he added.
His speech was met with cheers from the crowd while others reportedly walked out during his performance.
Kraft’s Statement Against Macklemore
In a statement later shared on Instagram, Macklemore claimed he was dropped from the tour after Robert Kraft — the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium — mounted a pressure campaign against Sheeran. Kraft confirmed the decision in his own statement, citing “recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran’s shows in New Jersey, and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.”
Kraft’s statement named the recent actions and the broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery as reasons for the decision to bar Macklemore from performing at Gillette.
The Crowd’s Response in Dublin, Paris and London
Macklemore thanked fans in Dublin, Paris, and London “for showing up the way you did.” He called the response “another reminder of how many people across the world are standing together for a free Palestine.”
He posted the news of sold-out shows on Wednesday.
Support Artists Who Stood With Him
Macklemore said he reached out to “artists who have shown up and used their stages to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, regardless of the consequences.”
He continued, “Artists who understand that our platforms mean very little if we’re only willing to use them when it’s safe.”
He did not name any of these support artists because he is still working out the details.
What Macklemore Said About Free Speech
In a speech at MetLife Stadium, Macklemore said a big part of the reason he wanted to do this tour was so he could stand up in stadiums and say two words that are very near and dear to his heart: Free Palestine.
“When those in power try to silence our calls for liberation, art will always be a form of resistance,” he said.
He also wrote that all proceeds from the tour will benefit organizations supporting the Palestinian people and movement.
How the Story Unfolds
| Date | City |
|---|---|
| Oct. 26 | Dublin |
| Oct. 29 | Paris |
| Oct. 30 | London |
Sheeran continued his tour without support acts in Philadelphia earlier this month, following every opener dropping off the bill in support of Macklemore.
The sequence of events is clear:
- Macklemore was removed from Sheeran’s tour after voicing support for the Palestinian people onstage.
- Kraft confirmed the decision, citing recent actions, material from the stage, and a history of antisemitic rhetoric.
- Macklemore announced the Free Palestine Tour, with all three European dates selling out immediately.
- He thanked fans and said the response shows how many people are standing together for a free Palestine.
The tour’s success is notable.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs Macklemore’s right to speak freely about Palestine and is against any attempt by a platform or the government to decide what he may say. His tour’s immediate sellout in Dublin, Paris, and London shows the appetite for this message, even as Kraft’s statement cites “antisemitic rhetoric” as cause for his removal.
Macklemore’s own framing matters here: he has described the tour as a form of resistance against silencing, and he has pledged that proceeds will go to organizations supporting the Palestinian people. The paper supports his right to make that case.
Readers should keep an eye on whether platforms or governments attempt to regulate what artists may say on stage, as that is a direct threat to free speech. Macklemore’s example shows the risk: one statement cost him a slot on Sheeran’s bill, and now he is touring on his own terms.
Source material: “Macklemore Says ‘Free Palestine’ Tour ‘Sold Out Immediately’: ‘Art Will Always Be a Form of Resistance’,” Rolling Stone.
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