American rapper Macklemore has announced a European tour under the title Free Palestine (“Free Palestine“), after being removed from the tour of British singer Ed Sheeran, DPA reported. The 43-year-old artist, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, will perform concerts in Dublin, Paris and London.
His participation as an opening act on Ed Sheeran's tour was canceled after his comments about the situation in Gaza from the stage, BTA recalls.
Meanwhile, all opening acts for the remaining dates of Sheeran's Loop tour – among them Irish singer Aaron Rowe, Grammy Award winner Finneas (FINNEAS), brother of Billie Eilish, Danes Lukas Graham and the band Beoga – have canceled their performances.
Macklemore announced that he will gather artists and friends for a series of concerts aimed at providing humanitarian aid and support for the people of Palestine.
In a post on Instagram, the rapper indicated that over the past three years there has been a change in public attitudes regarding the “liberation of Palestine“, the influence of billionaires and the role of artists.
“It is already 2026. Being apolitical during a genocide is no longer an option“, he wrote, calling on artists to take a stand, inform themselves and use their public platforms for causes outside the entertainment sphere.
It was previously reported that Robert Kraft, whose company “Kraft Group“ The owner of Gillette Stadium, where Sheeran was scheduled to perform in the US on September 25 and 26, is among those who have contacted the singer to inform him that he will not be able to use the venue if Macklemore remains on the tour. Ed Sheeran later said that the decision to remove Macklemore was made by the promoter, not him. The singer added that he and Kraft had each donated $2 million to charities helping Gaza.
“What happened to me is more significant than one artist or one stage,” Macklemore said. He said that in the past week he has reached out to artists who have publicly expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people, despite the possible consequences. The Free Palestine tour will begin on October 26 at the 3Arena in Dublin, continue on October 29 at the Accor Arena in Paris and end on October 30 at Wembley Arena in London. Other participating artists and cities are expected to be announced, including concert dates in the United States, DPA added.