Macklemore hits back with ‘Free Palestine Tour’ after being dumped from Ed Sheeran tour
US rapper announces three shows in London, Paris and Dublin for late October, with US dates in the works; says other artists will be announced soon
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US rapper Macklemore, who was dropped from British pop star Ed Sheeran’s tour after making anti-Israel comments during his performances, announced Thursday he will instead perform on his own “Free Palestine Tour.”
It was the latest development in controversy that has grown since the “Thrift Shop” star was booted from the US tour, a decision Sheeran said was made by tour promoters, not him, provoking outrage among pro-Palestinian musicians and activists.
Messina Touring Group, the promoter of the US leg of Sheeran’s tour, told Rolling Stone in a statement that host venues had told the company they would not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup.
Macklemore, who was opening for Sheeran’s “Loop Tour,” especially drew criticism from Jewish and Israeli advocacy organizations for performing his 2024 song, “Hind’s Hall,” which accuses Israel of apartheid and genocide. The rapper also showed footage from Gaza, images of Israeli soldiers, and pro-Palestinian messages on screens behind him.
“What happened to me is bigger than one artist or one stage,” Macklemore, 43, wrote 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,” he added.
What happened to me is bigger than one artist or one stage. 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.
So we're going on tour. All proceeds will benefit organizations… pic.twitter.com/Eow5Lv1SCH
— Macklemore (@macklemore) September 24, 2026
Macklemore was referring to New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, the billionaire and philanthropist who is a prominent supporter of Israel and Jewish causes and has donated millions of dollars to them over the years. He has become a powerful voice against antisemitism and took credit for Macklemore’s removal from the Sheeran tour. Kraft owns Gillette Stadium, which was on Sheeran’s tour itinerary.
In his social media post, Macklemore announced three shows in London, Paris and Dublin for late October, with US dates also planned, and wrote that all proceeds would benefit “organizations supporting the Palestinian people and movement,” including Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians, UNRWA USA and Jewish Voice for Peace.
“It’s 2026. Being apolitical during a genocide doesn’t work anymore,” he claimed. “People are asking artists to show up, educate themselves and be in community. To use the stage for more than entertainment. To push back when the call for a Free Palestine is met with attempts to silence it.”
Macklemore’s removal has opened a can of worms for the Grammy-winning Sheeran, who has typically steered clear of making any overt political statements.
Last weekend, at a show in Philadelphia, Sheeran told the crowd he “never wanted to be an activist musician,” but then said he would “address the question of where I stand in the situation in Israel and Palestine.”
He said “what happened in Israel and at the Nova music festival on October 7th was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain,” referring to the Hamas-led terror onslaught in 2023. It included the massacre at the music festival, where hundreds of attendees were killed and dozens taken hostage, amid rampant acts of sexual violence. In total, the Hamas invasion of southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killed 1,200 people and 251 people were abducted to Gaza.
Sheeran then turned to speaking about the IDF’s war against Hamas in Gaza that followed, which leveled much of the Strip and caused a humanitarian crisis. He also criticized the situation in the West Bank as unjust, without naming Israel. He described the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate.”
“I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions, and I am making mistakes, and I’m so, so sorry,” an emotional Sheeran told his audience, who responded with cheers.
Four other supporting artists, including American musician Finneas, who’s the older brother of Billie Eilish, have also pulled out of Sheeran’s tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
The Times of Israel Community.