Macklemore has revealed that after weeks of attempting to secure U.S. venues, nine prominent arenas have declined to host his “Free Palestine” tour.
The tour was initiated following the Seattle rapper’s removal as the opening act for Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour, which occurred after venues raised objections to his participation due to his “Free Palestine” remarks, with some accusing him of promoting antisemitism and hate speech.
Sheeran’s supporting acts showed their support for Macklemore and also withdrew from the Loop tour.
Amid the escalating situation, Macklemore announced a three-date European tour, with all proceeds directed to organizations aiding Palestinians.
The artist mentioned that he always intended to bring the tour to the United States. However, in a recent Instagram post, he shared some challenges he encountered while trying to secure venues, specifically naming nine arenas:
- Madison Square Garden in New York
- Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
- Barclays Center in Brooklyn
- UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y.
- Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California
- Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif.
- Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles
- Chase Center in San Francisco
- Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle
By mid-September, he had identified available dates at those venues, but once they learned he was inquiring for his Free Palestine tour, “those dates were suddenly off the table.”
“In over twenty years of touring, I’ve never encountered anything like this,” Macklemore expressed on Instagram.
CBC News has sought comments from all the mentioned arenas.
An MSG Entertainment representative stated to CBC News, “We operate some of the most in-demand venues globally with extremely limited availability, and he’s not an arena-level act.”
Macklemore hats were sold outside the Macklemore & Friends ‘Free Palestine’ Tour at The 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland in October. (Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)
Macklemore concluded his extensive post by vowing to continue supporting Palestine, even if it means performing in unconventional locations.
“We will create our own stages. They may control the arenas, but they do not control the people who fill them. And they never will.”