Macklemore says nine major US arenas turned down his Free Palestine tour
The rapper was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour over comments he made about Gaza.
Macklemore has said nine major American arenas have turned down his Free Palestine tour.
The 43-year-old, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, announced a string of concerts in London, Paris and Dublin in September after he was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour over comments he made about Gaza.
The US rapper, known for Thrift Shop and Same Love, said he tried to bring the tour to the US but “the doors were closed” after venues learned the benefit concerts were for Palestine.
In a statement shared on Instagram on Friday, he said he has “never experienced anything like this” in more than 20 years of touring.
He wrote: “After weeks of reaching out, nine major American arenas have turned us down.
“By mid-September, we received available dates at these arenas through the end of the year. But once they found out these were my benefit shows for Palestine, those dates were suddenly off the table.
“The conversations were all different, but the result was the same. The shows were not going to be allowed to happen in these venues.
“In over 20 years of touring, I’ve never experienced anything like this.”
The rapper said the nine arenas that turned him down included three in New York City, including Madison Square Garden, one in New Jersey, four in California and one in Seattle, Washington.
He added: “This is not an isolated incident. For decades, activists, poets, writers, musicians and entertainers who have stood in solidarity with the Palestinian people have faced consequences for doing so. Many have paid a far greater price than I have.
“At the time, I didn’t believe that centring what was happening to me was worth taking any attention away from the genocide in Palestine.
“But the intimidation, manipulation and suppression I experienced are part of how those in power keep entertainers quiet. It’s their main tactic to keep us in line. Shut up and dribble, or you will be punished.
“I’d rather lose every opportunity in this industry than spend another day protecting people who value their business relationships with Israel more than they value Palestinian human life.
“We live in a country that prides itself on freedom of speech. Yet we’ve reached a point where a handful of billionaires can decide which causes are acceptable, which voices are welcome and which human lives are worth defending.
“To these owners, the words Free Palestine represent a threat. Not because they endanger anyone, but because those words challenge the systems of power they have built their fortunes on.
“To the artists who are afraid of what those two words might cost them, I understand that fear. I felt it myself, especially when I was still wrestling with whether to speak out. But I believe that fear begins to lose its power the moment we realise we’re not standing alone.
“I dream of a world where saying Free Palestine is not controversial. It is expected. Where artists value their freedom of speech and collective liberation more than their brand deals.
“There comes a point when the world changes, not because those in power give us permission but because the people stop asking for it.
“They may own the arenas, but they do not own the people who fill them. And they never will.”
The Grammy-winning musician previously said his European gigs “sold out immediately” after going on sale.
All the proceeds from the concerts go towards organisations working in support of Palestinian people with medical care, humanitarian assistance, education, community support and advocacy.