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Macklemore Claims Nine US Arenas Blocked 'Free Palestine' Tour
· Confirmed
In Short: Rapper Macklemore, known for hits like 'Thrift Shop' and 'Same Love,' claims that nine major US arenas have refused to host his 'Free Palestine' benefit tour.
In a statement posted to Instagram, Macklemore said he had hoped to bring the tour to the United States but found that major arenas including Madison Square Garden, Crypto.com Arena, and Kia Forum had all turned him down.
Macklemore launched the tour after being removed from Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour due to his support for Palestinians in Gaza. He has since donated $1 million to humanitarian aid for Gaza.
Macklemore said in an Instagram post Friday that he had hoped to bring the tour, which has raised money for humanitarian aid through shows in Dublin, Paris, and London, to the United States.
Macklemore said that from the beginning, his plan was to bring the tour home to the U.S., but the doors were closed once they learned the shows would benefit Palestine.
The rapper said he experienced significant hurdles finding venues to house his Free Palestine Tour in the U.S., stating that major arenas across the country had all turned him down because of his political message.
Macklemore added that he dreams of a world where saying 'Free Palestine' is not controversial but expected, and said that while the arena owners made their decision, his supporters can 'build our own stages.'
The tour began coming apart after Macklemore spoke about the war in Gaza, and he noted that billionaire Robert Kraft and owner of Massachusetts' Gillette Stadium pressured Sheeran to remove Macklemore from his tour, giving him an ultimatum that they would otherwise cancel the show.
Macklemore said that in over twenty years of touring, he has never experienced anything like this, and he called out 'intimidation, manipulation and suppression' in a social media post, claiming major arenas refused to host him after the Ed Sheeran controversy.
What this adds
Macklemore's 'Free Palestine' tour has been met with significant resistance in the United States, with venues refusing to host the shows.
What's confirmed
- Within the past few months, Macklemore achieved not just a moral victory but a professional one, dropping out from Ed Sheeran’s tour after censorship attempts and launching his own headlining shows, called the Free Palestine Tour.
- “From the beginning, our plan was to bring this tour home to the U.S.,” Macklemore said.
- Venues including Madison Square Garden, Kia Forum, and Crypto.com Arena allegedly withdrew available dates after learning the shows would benefit Palestine Macklemore claims efforts to bring his “Free Palestine” benefit tour to the US have been thwarted by venue operators who have refused to host the shows.
- Macklemore is calling out several U.S. arenas for turning down his Free Palestine benefit tour.
- The 43-year-old rapper, real name Benjamin Haggerty, announced initial concerts in London, Paris and Dublin in September after he was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour over comments he made about Gaza.
- In an Instagram post Friday, Macklemore said he had hoped to bring the tour, which has raised money for humanitarian aid through shows in Dublin, Paris and London, to the United States.
- Last month, Macklemore launched his Free Palestine tour in response to his removal from Ed Sheeran’s tour at the behest of stadium owners who opposed his vocal support of Palestinians in Gaza.
- Rapper called out ‘intimidation, manipulation and suppression’ in a social media post, claiming major arenas refused to host him after the Ed Sheeran controversy Rapper called out ‘intimidation, manipulation and suppression’ in a social media post, claiming major arenas refused to host him after the Ed Sheeran controversy Macklemore says that nine major US arenas have refused to host his Free Palestine fundraising tour, calling out “intimidation, manipulation and suppression” tactics.
- Macklemore is facing significant hurdles finding venues to house his Free Palestine Tour in the U.S., the rapper said on Friday, stating that major arenas across the country including Madison Square Garden, Crypto.com Arena and Kia Forum have all turned him down because of his political message.
- Macklemore is claiming that he is unable to bring his Free Palestine Tour to major venues in the United States.
- Macklemore is accusing some of America’s most iconic arenas of shutting his “Free Palestine” tour out.
- In a statement posted to Instagram, Macklemore called out New York City's Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center, New York's UBS Arena, New Jersey's Prudential Center, Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena, Intuit Dome, and Kia Forum, San Francisco's Chase Center, and Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena, claiming they all declined to host the tour.
What's still developing
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- Meanwhile, Macklemore’s Free Palestine dates in Europe sold out almost immediately.
- The rapper said that over the years he has experienced "intimidation, manipulation and suppression " for his pro-Palestine stance by "those in power" who he claims want to "keep entertainers quiet."
- But the concerts had already been engulfed in controversy after Kraft was instrumental in getting Macklemore booted from Ed's tour following the rapper’s pro-Palestinian remarks during earlier shows.
- “Being a human being in this moment is not complicated,” Macklemore said at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre, according to Billboard.
- Macklemore announced initial concerts in London, Paris, and Dublin in September, which sold out almost immediately.
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- The comments from Lillard come amid Macklemore's firing from Ed Sheeran's concert openings after using the “Free Palestine” slogan during his performance.