Macklemore Launches 'Free Palestine Tour' After Ed Sheeran Exit - Tempo.co English

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - American rapper Macklemore announced on Thursday, September 24, 2026, an independent concert series titled the "Free Palestine Tour". The move comes weeks after his removal from pop star Ed Sheeran’s North American tour for voicing support for Gaza on stage.

"All proceeds will benefit organizations supporting the Palestinian people and movement," Macklemore wrote in an Instagram statement on September 24. Presale tickets are set to go on sale on Monday, September 28, 2026.

Additional dates in the United States and participating guest artists will be announced in the coming weeks, according to Al Jazeera.

The decision to launch an independent tour follows Macklemore's removal from the remaining eight dates of Ed Sheeran's "Loop Tour." The fallout began during a September 4 concert at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where Macklemore chanted "Free Palestine" and performed his pro-Palestinian protest track "Hind's Hall."

"A big part of the reason why I wanted to do this tour in the first place is so I could stand up in stadiums like this and say two words that are very near and dear to my heart: 'Free Palestine,'" Macklemore told the audience at the time, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Following the performance, billionaire businessman Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, barred the rapper from performing at his venue, accusing him of rhetoric offensive to the Jewish community. Kraft also reportedly urged other stadium owners to issue an ultimatum to Sheeran's promoter to drop him. The promoter subsequently removed Macklemore from the lineup.

Sheeran later clarified that the removal was executed by the tour's promoter rather than himself directly, explaining, "Macklemore’s contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me... I would never let down the fans who had made plans, nor would I abandon the touring crew."

The decision triggered a wave of industry walkouts. Supporting acts including Finneas, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and Sheeran’s live backing band Beoga all withdrew from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.

Addressing the controversy during a subsequent concert in Philadelphia, Sheeran acknowledged the backlash and addressed the conflict directly: "I’ve had to take and make difficult decisions and I am making mistakes and I’m so, so sorry... What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate."

Macklemore described the tour removal as an issue of corporate censorship. "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," he stated on Instagram.

Before launching the "Free Palestine" tour, Macklemore pledged his US$1 million net earnings from the Sheeran tour to six aid organizations, including UNRWA, Medical Aid for Palestinians, HEAL Palestine, and the Palestine Children's Relief Fund.