Macklemore says nine U.S. arenas withdrew available dates once they learned the shows were benefits for Palestine
MacklemoreMusician, in a statement posted on his Instagram account
Macklemore said his team had received available dates at nine major U.S. arenas by mid-September, and that the dates were withdrawn once the venues learned the concerts were his benefit shows for Palestine. He said a handful of billionaires can now decide which causes are acceptable and which voices are welcome.
“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 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. ... 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.”
Original post
Reporting
Other statements by Macklemore in this case
- Macklemore repeats "free Palestine" at Red Rocks, his first show since his removalEarlier: Defended or excused
- Macklemore tells Dublin crowd the words "free Palestine" are "so threatening to some people"Earlier: Defended or excused
- Macklemore answers the peers who sought to stop his Wembley showEarlier: Defended or excused
Where this statement fits
Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” speech and removal from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour
At two Ed Sheeran concerts at MetLife Stadium, Macklemore called for a free Palestine, accused Israel of apartheid and genocide, and said criticism of Israel was not criticism of Jewish people. After venue objections, tour promoter Messina Touring Group said he would not perform the remaining U.S. Loop Tour dates. Critics characterized the performance as hostile or inappropriate; Macklemore defended it as a call for equal treatment.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
Macklemore's own Instagram post, captioned "Trying to silence us will only make the message louder", giving an update on U.S. dates for the Free Palestine Tour. The statement is posted as images of text. It names Madison Square Garden, Prudential Center, Barclays Center, UBS Arena, Intuit Dome, Kia Forum, Crypto.com Arena, Chase Center and Climate Pledge Arena as the nine arenas.
Reporting
About this source
Stereogum report on Macklemore's November 6 Instagram statement that nine U.S. arenas turned down his Free Palestine Tour. It reproduces long passages of the statement and adds a statement from a Madison Square Garden spokesperson.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Macklemore announced the Free Palestine Tour on September 24, after his removal from the remaining U.S. dates of Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour. Its three benefit concerts in Dublin, Paris and London sold out, and the last was held at Wembley on October 30. No U.S. dates had been announced.
After the quotation
The post names Madison Square Garden, Prudential Center, Barclays Center, UBS Arena, Intuit Dome, Kia Forum, Crypto.com Arena, Chase Center and Climate Pledge Arena. A Madison Square Garden spokesperson told Stereogum that its venues have extremely limited availability and that Macklemore is not an arena level act.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case concerns Macklemore's Free Palestine speech at Ed Sheeran's concerts and his removal from the remaining U.S. dates. Here he says arenas closed their doors to his benefit shows for Palestine and describes that as billionaires deciding which causes are acceptable. That continues his defense of the speech, so we used the same label as his earlier statements.
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More from this case
Read the full caseThe Edge says U2 supports Macklemore's right to speak and that Ed Sheeran should not be vilified
“We totally support Macklemore's right as an artist to say what he wanted to say ... I don't think Ed should be vilified. He was in a very difficult situation. But I commend the other young artists who decided to leave [his] tour. ... They were sticking up for an artist's right to free speech, and I think that's the issue above anything else.”Read statement
Jack Antonoff says Ed Sheeran "missed a massive, beautiful opportunity" to cancel his tour
“They’re going to let some fucking promoter tell me what I can say? Don’t book me. I’ll play for free outside. [Ed Sheeran] missed a massive, beautiful opportunity there: just cancel the whole fucking tour, then play for free outside each venue, raise a bunch of money, rather than let a fucking billionaire tell you what to do.”Read statement
Jewish Voice for Peace says the backlash to Macklemore's removal shows support for pro-Palestine speech
Jewish Voice for Peace
“Two years into Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestine organizing, the backlash against Sheeran shows how little patience Americans have for attacks on pro-Palestine speech. It also demonstrates the shift toward support for Palestinian rights among everyday Americans that our movements have helped propel.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Macklemore says nine U.S. arenas withdrew available dates once they learned the shows were benefits for Palestine". First published: 2026-11-13. Last updated: 2026-11-13. https://disputeindex.com/events/8778-macklemore-said-his-team-had-received-available-dates