Arenas decline Macklemore's Palestine tour
The gist
Seattle rapper Macklemore says nine major US arenas withdrew dates once they learned his shows were Palestine benefits.
MSG Entertainment denies it, saying he is not an arena-level act.
How it unfolded
- Sep 2026Macklemore makes "Free Palestine" comments onstage during his opening act at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
- Sep 17, 2026He is removed from the rest of Ed Sheeran's stadium tour after venues allegedly told the promoter they would not allow him to perform.
- Sep 24, 2026Macklemore announces the "Free Palestine" tour, with shows in Dublin (Oct 26), Paris (Oct 29) and London (Oct 30).
Key terms
- arena-level act
- A performer or group big enough to headline large arena concerts rather than smaller venues.
- promoter
- A person or company that organizes a live concert tour or special event and contracts with the artist.
Source: Wikipedia