Macklemore has announced a ‘Free Palestine Tour’ across the UK and Europe, following his removal from Ed Sheeran’s US ‘Loop’ tour over his pro-Palestine comments.
The rapper announced the run today (September 24), with shows set to take place at Dublin’s 3Arena on October 26, Paris’ Accor Arena on October 29 and London’s OVO Arena Wembley the following night.
He said he is still finalising the line-ups, but has spent the past week contacting “artists who have shown up and used their stages to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, regardless of the consequences”.
“Artists who understand that our platforms mean very little if we’re only willing to use them when it’s safe,” he added.
Further artist announcements are expected soon, while Macklemore said US dates will also follow.
All proceeds from the concerts will benefit 12 organisations working in areas including medical care, humanitarian assistance, education, advocacy and community support for Palestinians. They are Anera, Glia, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Taawon, HEAL Palestine, Palestinian Youth Movement, Middle East Children’s Alliance, Jewish Voice for Peace, Medical Aid for Palestinians, Institute for Middle East Understanding, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and UNRWA USA.
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
Fans can sign up through Macklemore’s website here for access to the artist pre-sale, which begins at 10am local time on Monday (September 28). General sale begins at 10am local time next Wednesday (September 30) here.
Announcing the tour, Macklemore reflected on the events of the past few weeks.
“If these last couple of weeks have shown us anything, it’s that something has shifted over the last three years,” he wrote. “There has been a collective awakening around Palestinian liberation, the power of billionaires that try to censor that call, and what we expect from artists right now.”
He continued: “It’s 2026. Being apolitical during a genocide doesn’t work anymore. 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.”
“What happened to me is bigger than one artist or one stage,” he added. “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 then joked: “So, as you all know, my schedule freed up a bit.”
The new dates follow a turbulent few weeks surrounding Sheeran’s US tour, beginning when Macklemore made an impassioned speech while opening at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4 and 5.
During the shows, he called for “all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality” and told people in Gaza and the West Bank that “we have not forgotten about them”, before declaring “Free Palestine” and performing his 2024 protest track ‘Hind’s Hall’ alongside footage from Gaza.
The comments prompted criticism from the Israeli-American Council, which called for him to be removed from the tour and accused him of using Sheeran’s shows to “advance a one-sided political agenda”.
Pink also shared a post from the group StopAntisemitism criticising Macklemore’s performance. She later clarified that she did not agree with all of the language in the post and said she had never called for the rapper to be fired or silenced.
Macklemore subsequently defended his speech, saying that “wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial”.
The situation escalated when New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft objected to Macklemore performing at Sheeran’s September 25 and 26 shows at the stadium.
Macklemore announced on September 14 that he had subsequently been dropped from the remainder of the tour, claiming Sheeran had told him that Kraft and other stadium owners had objected to his presence on the bill.
The decision triggered further upheaval on the tour, with all of Sheeran’s remaining support acts and his backing band withdrawing in solidarity with Macklemore.
Macklemore then pledged his entire $1million earnings from Sheeran’s tour to six organisations supporting Palestinians, telling Kraft: “Whatever we disagree about, perhaps we can agree on this: Palestinian lives are worth protecting.” Kraft subsequently announced a $2million contribution to humanitarian aid in the region.
When Sheeran returned to the stage in Philadelphia on September 19, he apologised for “mistakes” in his handling of the controversy and revealed that the fallout had left him questioning whether he wanted “to be an artist at all”.
The controversy has continued to draw responses from across the music world. In a recent interview with NME, Tom Morello praised Macklemore for refusing to retreat from his stance, arguing that “courage is contagious”.
