25 September,2026 12:05 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Ed Sheeran, Mucklemore (Pic/X)
Days after his removal from Ed Sheeran's tour, Macklemore has announced a new Free Palestine tour across Europe. The rapper will perform in London, Dublin and Paris, with proceeds going towards organisations supporting Palestinians. The announcement comes amid controversy over his pro-Palestinian remarks during Sheeran's MetLife Stadium shows.
Days after the Ed Sheeran row, rapper Macklemore has announced a new tour. As part of his Free Palestine tour, Macklemore will perform in London on October 20, followed by a show in Dublin on October 26 and Paris three days later, on October 29. Sharing the announcement, he wrote, "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 supporting the Palestinian people and movement," added the rapper. This comes after his fallout with Ed Sheeran following his removal from the tour.
The controversy followed Macklemore's appearances during Sheeran's September 4 and 5 shows at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. During his performances, Macklemore spoke about the war in Gaza and the West Bank and told the audience, "Free Palestine."
His set also featured "Hind's Hall," his 2024 protest song supporting Palestinians.
The remarks drew criticism from some Jewish and pro-Israel organisations, including the Israeli-American Council, which called for Macklemore to be removed from the tour. Sheeran had already addressed the decision in a statement earlier in the week, stressing that Macklemore's removal was made by the promoter and venues rather than by him.
Macklemore subsequently responded to his removal, saying he and Sheeran had held "difficult conversations" following the MetLife shows.
While expressing respect for Sheeran personally, the rapper challenged the singer's preference for remaining publicly neutral and said he did not regret using the tour stage to speak in support of Palestinians.
Macklemore has also said he will donate USD 1 million to Palestinian relief organisations.
Despite the controversy, Sheeran's Philadelphia concert went ahead as scheduled on Saturday, where he even broke down in tears, marking the beginning of the next stretch of his US stadium run.
