Nocturnal 
Macklemore has announced a three-date Free Palestine Tour, with all proceeds going to organisations supporting Palestinians, just weeks after he was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour over pro-Palestine comments on stage.
The rapper will play Dublin’s 3Arena on 26 October, Paris’ Accor Arena on 29 October, and London’s OVO Arena Wembley on 30 October, according to the tour announcement. More dates, including shows in the United States, are reportedly in the works, though a full line-up of guest artists has yet to be confirmed.
Announcing the news on Instagram and X, Macklemore made clear he saw the tour as bigger than himself. “What happened to me is bigger than one artist or one stage,” he wrote. “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 also wrote: “It’s 2026. Being apolitical during a genocide doesn’t work anymore” — a characterisation of Israel’s conduct in Gaza that the Israeli government strongly rejects. A UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry concluded in September 2025 that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, a finding Israel disputes.
Why was Macklemore removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour?
Macklemore was pulled from the remaining US dates of Sheeran’s Loop tour after telling crowds at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 4 and 5 September that people in Gaza and the West Bank had not been forgotten, before declaring “Free Palestine”.
Promoter Messina Touring Group said several venues had told them they wouldn’t host shows with Macklemore on the bill, and subsequently removed him. Sheeran later said the decision came from the promoter rather than himself, and said he was concerned about venues trying to control what performers say on stage. Several other support acts withdrew from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
The fallout has been rough for Sheeran, who has reportedly lost more than 500,000 Instagram followers since the controversy broke. His longtime friend Jordan Stephens, of Rizzle Kicks, also criticised how he handled it on his Miss Me? podcast, saying: “All he had to do is have a backbone, and say, ‘I’m not gonna carry on playing if you’re taking one of my mates off.'”
Where the money is going, and the backlash
Macklemore says proceeds will support 12 organisations, including Anera, Medical Aid for Palestinians, the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, UNRWA USA and Jewish Voice for Peace, covering humanitarian aid, healthcare and education.
Not everyone’s convinced by the gesture. Social media reaction included accusations of it being a “Fake Victim Fest” and questions over the timing, with one user writing: “Timing is wild: get dropped from the Sheeran tour and immediately drop your own Free Palestine dates.” Others pointed out the tour isn’t stopping in Gaza itself.
The Jewish Leadership Council has also raised concerns with promoter Live Nation over the London date at Wembley, referencing imagery used in Macklemore’s recent performances and drawing comparisons to its earlier campaign against Kanye West’s Wireless Festival appearance, which was ultimately blocked by the Home Office.
Where things stand now
For now, all three European dates remain scheduled, with tickets covering Dublin, Paris and London. Whether the Wembley show goes ahead as planned amid the Jewish Leadership Council’s pressure on Live Nation is, at this stage, unconfirmed.
