Macklemore says nine U.S. arenas refused to host his Free Palestine tour
The rapper said venues that had initially offered dates withdrew them once they learned the shows were benefit concerts.
Explainer
Macklemore says nine major U.S. concert arenas have refused to host his upcoming Free Palestine benefit tour. The rapper, whose legal name is Ben Haggerty, detailed the alleged rejections in a lengthy Instagram post on Friday. He said his team had received available dates at the venues through the end of the year, but once they learned the shows were for his Free Palestine tour, those dates were suddenly off the table. Macklemore called the situation unprecedented in his over twenty years of touring.
"The doors were closed. The conversations were all different, but the result was the same. The shows were not going to be allowed to happen in these venues," Macklemore wrote. "In over twenty years of touring, I've never experienced anything like this." The venues he named are Madison Square Garden, UBS Arena and Barclays Center in New York, Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Chase Center in San Francisco, and Intuit Dome, Kia Forum and Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles County. An MSG Entertainment spokesperson responded to the allegations in a statement to CBC News and USA Today. "We have some of the busiest venues in the world with extremely limited availability and he’s not an arena level act," the spokesperson said. CBC News and USA Today have reached out to the other venues for comment.
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"We have some of the busiest venues in the world with extremely limited availability and he’s not an arena level act."
What prompted the Free Palestine tour?
The tour was launched after Macklemore was removed as the opening act for the U.S. leg of Ed Sheeran's Loop tour in September. Some venues objected to his presence over his vocal support for Palestinians, with some accusing him of antisemitism and hate speech. Robert Kraft, the billionaire whose Gillette Stadium was among the venues objecting, said the rapper's comments and actions contributed to the decision and criticized him for not addressing Hamas' actions. Sheeran's other supporting acts stood in solidarity with Macklemore and also quit the tour.
In response, Macklemore announced a three date European benefit tour, with all proceeds going to organizations supporting Palestinians. Those sold out concerts took place in Dublin, Paris and London. "The shows in Dublin, Paris and London were three of the most beautiful I've ever been a part of," Macklemore wrote. He said it was always his intention to bring the tour to the United States.
What does Macklemore say about the rejections?
Macklemore framed the venue rejections as part of a broader pattern of suppression. "But 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," he wrote. He said his only regret from the past three years is not speaking publicly sooner. "Looking back over the last three years, the only real regret I have is not speaking publicly when Zionists were kicking me under the table," he wrote.
He accused those in power of using intimidation to keep entertainers quiet. "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," Macklemore wrote. He said he is no longer concerned with maintaining relationships with anyone not supporting a Free Palestine. He wrote that he would rather lose every opportunity in the entertainment industry than spend another day protecting people who value business relationships with Israel more than Palestinian human life.
Where will the tour proceeds go?
All proceeds from the benefit concerts are directed to twelve organizations supporting Palestinians through medical care, humanitarian assistance, education, advocacy and community programs. According to an event announcement from the 3Arena in Dublin, the beneficiaries include Anera, Glia, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Taawon, HEAL Palestine, the Palestinian Youth Movement, Middle East Children's Alliance, Jewish Voice for Peace, Medical Aid for Palestinians, the Institute for Middle East Understanding, Palestine Children's Relief Fund and UNRWA USA. Macklemore said the words Free Palestine represent a threat to the owners of these venues because those words challenge the systems of power they have built their fortunes on. He encouraged other artists not to remain silent, citing his European shows as evidence of public support.
What happens next with the tour?
Macklemore promised there will be more benefit concerts for Palestinians, even if they have to be held outside. "We will build our own stages. They may own the arenas. But they do not own the people who fill them. And they never will," he wrote. He also referenced the recent election of Abdul El Sayed to the U.S. Senate from Michigan as a sign that the tides are turning. Macklemore noted that El Sayed campaigned on ending what he called the genocide in Gaza and stopping U.S. arms sales to Israel.
"The billionaires depend on our silence and complicity. They forget that we buy their tickets. We fill their arenas. We build their empires. And we have the power to bring them down," Macklemore wrote. He concluded, "The people have spoken. We want an end to the genocide and we want a Free Palestine. The arenas have made their decision. Now we’ll make ours."
With files from CBC News, USA Today and Yahoo News