Rapper Macklemore has announced plans for a "Free Palestine" tour after being removed from Ed Sheeran's U.S. tour earlier this month. The decision to launch the tour comes after Macklemore, born Ben Haggerty, made pro-Palestinian remarks onstage during Sheeran’s concert at MetLife Stadium on September 4.
The Seattle-based artist shared the news in a social media post on Thursday, saying, "This is a moment of momentum, and there is work to be done. So we’re going on tour." While details such as tour dates and supporting artists have not yet been revealed, Macklemore stated he has been reaching out to performers who have used their platforms to express solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
Macklemore’s participation in Sheeran’s tour ended after the rapper told audiences, "Free Palestine," during his MetLife performance. He later alleged that Robert Kraft, the owner of Gillette Stadium and the New England Patriots, influenced Sheeran and venue owners to remove him from the tour.
Sheeran later addressed the development from the stage at his September 19 concert in Philadelphia. The English singer-songwriter apologized to fans, saying he had made mistakes and faced difficult decisions. Earlier, on social media, Sheeran said the decision to drop Macklemore was made by his tour promoter.
Messina Touring Group, the promoter for Sheeran's U.S. Loop Tour, told ABC News in a statement that venues had informed them Macklemore's continued inclusion could lead to the cancellation of shows. Messina added they chose to remove Macklemore to avoid disrupting the tour and impacting thousands of fans.
Since his departure, several other artists, including Aaron Rowe, Finneas, Beoga, and Lukas Graham, have voluntarily withdrawn from Sheeran’s tour in response to the controversy.
Meanwhile, Kraft responded to Macklemore’s comments in a statement to ABC News on September 14. Kraft said Macklemore’s onstage statements and a "broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery" contributed to the decision to bar him from performing at Gillette Stadium. Kraft denied the move was aimed at minimizing the suffering of Palestinians and expressed willingness to engage in dialogue with Macklemore.
In his own statement, Macklemore denied accusations of antisemitism, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing criticism of Israeli policies from hatred toward Jewish people. "When criticizing Israel, opposing Zionism or saying ‘Free Palestine’ gets conflated with hatred of Jewish people, it doesn’t protect Jewish people," he wrote. "It protects Israel from accountability."
Sheeran and Kraft have not commented publicly on Macklemore’s "Free Palestine" tour announcement.