US rapper Macklemore has announced a European tour named Free Palestine after being dropped from Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour.
The 43-year-old, real name Benjamin Haggerty, will perform shows in London, Paris and Dublin, after he was removed as a supporting act for Sheeran over comments he made about Gaza.
Since then, all of Sheeran’s Loop Tour supporting acts, including Irish singer Aaron Rowe, Grammy award-winning musician Finneas, who is Billie Eilish’s brother, and Danish singer Lukas Graham, as well as his backing band Beoga, have dropped out of the remaining dates.
On Thursday, the US rapper announced that he would bring together artists and friends for a series of performances to help provide humanitarian aid and support for people in Palestine.
Announcing the news on Instagram, he said: “If these last couple of weeks have shown us anything, it’s that something has shifted over the last three years.
“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.
“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.”
Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns the Gillette Stadium, was among the people who contacted Sheeran and told him they would not be able to play the venue unless the US rapper was removed from the tour.
Sheeran said it was the promoter’s decision to remove Macklemore from the tour and not his.
Macklemore 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.
“I’ve spent the last week reaching out to 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.”
It comes after Sheeran played his first gig since the row on Saturday, with a new backing band and his b-stage removed, where he said he had questioned whether he “wanted to be an artist at all” after the furore.
The tour will kick off in Dublin’s 3Arena on October 26 followed by Paris Accor Arena on October 29 and wrap up at London’s Wembley on October 30.
Artist announcements as well as additional cities will be made soon – including dates in the US.
All the proceeds from the concerts will go towards a number of organisations working in support of Palestinian people including medical care, humanitarian assistance, education, community support and advocacy.
Those organisations include 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.
Tickets go on sale on Wednesday September 30 at Macklemore.com.
