Three weeks ago Macklemore said two words at MetLife Stadium and lost a stadium tour over it. On Thursday he answered with a tour of his own.
## What dropped Macklemore announced the Free Palestine Tour on Instagram Thursday, September 24. Stereogum and Variety had it by midday. NBC News, The Washington Post and Al Jazeera followed. There are three arena dates so far:
- Oct. 26: Dublin, 3Arena
- Oct. 29: Paris, Accor Arena
- Oct. 30: London, Wembley Arena
His post says all proceeds go to organizations supporting Palestinians. Variety, citing Live Nation, lists the recipients. They include Anera, Medical Aid for Palestinians, the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, Jewish Voice for Peace and UNRWA USA. He says guest artists and U.S. dates are "coming soon." No names yet.
Tickets: His post says presale starts "next Mon at 10am local" and general on-sale "next Wed at 10am local." Since he posted on Thursday, that means Monday, Sept. 28 and Wednesday, Sept. 30. We worked those dates out from his wording, so check macklemore.com before you set an alarm.

## The line he led with "My schedule freed up a bit." That's the joke in the statement, and it lands. The rest is serious. "It's 2026. Being apolitical during a genocide doesn't work anymore," he wrote. He also wrote that when "the billionaire class can decide which voices are allowed on stage... everyone should be paying attention." The billionaire he means is Robert Kraft, and nobody reading it has to guess.
## How we got here If you need the backstory, we covered each step. On Sept. 4 at MetLife, Macklemore said "Free Palestine" from Ed Sheeran's opening slot and got dropped from the tour. Kraft then confirmed he barred him from Gillette, citing what he called a history of antisemitic rhetoric. Macklemore alleges Kraft pressured the other stadium owners too. Neither Kraft nor Sheeran has responded to that specific claim, per Al Jazeera. Stereogum reports that the other openers and Sheeran's backing band quit in solidarity. Sheeran then addressed Gaza from the stage in Philly with a reduced lineup.
Along the way, Stereogum reports, Macklemore pledged the $1 million he earned from the Sheeran run to Palestinian aid groups and challenged Kraft to do the same. Kraft pledged $2 million in "aid to the region" without naming recipients.
## The pushback It isn't unanimous. Fox News rounded up critics online calling the tour "performative." Some asked why a tour for Palestine is playing Dublin, Paris and London. Supporters in the same threads want the U.S. cities he lost on the Sheeran run. UK duo Bob Vylan and YouTuber Chunkz backed it publicly, per Al Jazeera.
## The read This is the same Macklemore who put out "Hind's Hall" in 2024 and sent that video's proceeds to UNRWA USA. The position isn't new. What's new is the scale. He had a stadium slot, lost it, and turned the loss into his own arena run, promoted by Live Nation, the same company that runs the stadium circuit. Whatever you think of the politics, it's the loudest thing a rapper has done with a canceled booking in a long time. It also puts every artist he calls to join him on the spot: when the lineup drops, it'll show who is willing to take the risk he took.
We'll update when he names the guests and U.S. dates.
## Sources - Stereogum, Sept. 24, 2026: Macklemore Announces Free Palestine Tour - Variety, Sept. 24, 2026: Macklemore Announces 'Free Palestine' Tour After Ed Sheeran Drama - Al Jazeera, Sept. 24, 2026: US rapper Macklemore announces Free Palestine tour after Ed Sheeran fallout - NBC News, Sept. 24, 2026: Macklemore announces Free Palestine Tour - The Washington Post, Sept. 24, 2026: Macklemore announces 'Free Palestine' tour after Ed Sheeran dismissal - Fox News, Sept. 24, 2026: Macklemore slammed as 'performative' after announcing 'Free Palestine Tour' - Macklemore (Instagram), Sept. 24, 2026: Free Palestine Tour announcement

