Macklemore’s tour aimed at supporting Palestinians by raising funds for related organizations saw all three shows selling out rapidly. The announcement of the October tour dates in Dublin, Paris, and London under the banner of the Free Palestine tour came just a week ago. While the rapper has not disclosed the lineup of accompanying artists yet, he mentioned in the initial post that the shows would include him “and friends,” with further details on the lineup expected soon.
This European tour was announced following Macklemore being removed as the opening act for Ed Sheeran’s U.S. leg of the tour. Expressing his gratitude on Instagram, Macklemore shared his amazement at the swift response to the shows and emphasized the importance of musicians standing in solidarity with Palestine to raise funds collectively.
The benefit shows, according to Live Nation’s press release, will support various Palestinian aid organizations, such as Gaza Soup Kitchen, Palestinian Youth Movement, Jewish Voice for Peace, and UNRWA USA. Despite inquiries from CBC News about possible shows in Canada, no response has been received from Macklemore’s representatives.
The decision to drop Macklemore from Sheeran’s tour stemmed from the threat of venue cancellations by owners of American venues if the rapper continued as the opening act, as per a statement from Messina Touring Group to Rolling Stone magazine. Sheeran later addressed the situation and pointed out that one of the individuals backing the cancellations was Robert Kraft, chairman and CEO of The Kraft Group.
Macklemore’s longstanding pro-Palestinian stance and vocal expressions on various platforms over the years have been consistent. Following Sheeran’s statement, all other openers, including his backing band, withdrew from the tour. The shows scheduled for Gillette Stadium were eventually called off due to severe weather conditions.
