Macklemore, the American rapper, has announced a ‘Free Palestine’ tour after his removal from Ed Sheeran’s ‘Loop’ tour over his pro-Palestinian comments.
The rapper announced the new tour in a statement on Instagram on Thursday. He said all proceeds from the shows would go to organisations supporting Palestinians.
The tour will begin in Dublin on October 26. It will then move to Paris on October 29 and London on October 30.
Why Macklemore launched the tour
Macklemore said the controversy surrounding his removal from Sheeran’s tour led to the new concerts.
“If these last couple of weeks have shown us anything, it’s that something has shifted over the last three years,” he wrote.
He said he spent the past week contacting artistes who had used their platforms to support Palestinians.
“Artists who understand that our platforms mean very little if we’re only willing to use them when it’s safe,” he said.
Macklemore said the tour would also give artistes a platform to speak about the issue.
“So, we’re going on tour,” he wrote.
“Free Palestine Tour.”
Macklemore’s Sheeran tour fallout
The announcement comes days after Macklemore left Sheeran’s ‘Loop’ tour following comments he made at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium earlier this month.
During the performance, he expressed support for Palestinians. He also shouted “Free Palestine” and told Palestinians they were “not forgotten”.
His removal led four supporting acts to quit the tour. They were American artiste Finneas, Irish singer Aaron Rowe, Irish folk band Beoga and Danish pop act Lukas Graham.
Sheeran later denied responsibility for Macklemore’s removal.
The singer said Messina Touring Group, the tour’s promoter, terminated Macklemore’s contract.
According to Sheeran, some venues had threatened to cancel their shows if Macklemore remained on the tour.
Macklemore had also said he would donate the $1 million he earned from his appearances on Sheeran’s tour to organisations supporting Palestinians.
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