US rapper Macklemore is bringing a new Free Palestine tour to London this autumn, with a show at Wembley Arena on October 30 — weeks after he was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour for voicing support for Palestine on stage.
The Seattle-born artist, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, will also play Dublin’s 3Arena on October 26 and the Accor Arena in Paris before closing the three-date European run in the capital. He said the tour would bring together artists who have publicly stood with the Palestinian people, with further names and dates — including shows in the US — to be announced soon.
The announcement follows a fortnight of fallout from Sheeran’s tour. Macklemore was removed from the Loop Tour’s opening slot after saying “Free Palestine” during his set. Sheeran has said the decision was made by the tour’s promoter rather than himself, while reports claimed Robert Kraft of the Kraft Group, which owns Gillette Stadium, told Sheeran the venue would not host the show unless Macklemore was dropped.
Macklemore said: “If these last couple of weeks have shown us anything, it’s that something has shifted over the last three years. There has been a collective awakening around Palestinian liberation, the power of billionaires that try to censor that call, and what we expect from artists right now. It’s 2026. Being apolitical during a genocide doesn’t work anymore. People are asking artists to show up, educate themselves and be in community. To use the stage for more than entertainment. To push back when the call for a Free Palestine is met with attempts to silence it.”
He added: “What happened to me is bigger than one artist or one stage. 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 said he had spent the past week contacting artists who have used their platforms in solidarity with the Palestinian people “regardless of the consequences”, adding: “Artists who understand that our platforms mean very little if we’re only willing to use them when it’s safe.”
All proceeds from the tour will support organisations providing medical care, humanitarian aid, education and advocacy for Palestinians. The named beneficiaries include Anera, Glia, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Taawon, Heal Palestine, the Palestinian Youth Movement, the Middle East Children’s Alliance, Jewish Voice for Peace, Medical Aid for Palestinians, the Institute for Middle East Understanding, the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and UNRWA USA.
Sheeran returned to the stage for his first show since the controversy on Saturday, performing with a new backing band and without his usual b-stage, telling fans the episode had made him question whether he “wanted to be an artist at all”. Other support acts including Irish singer Aaron Rowe, Grammy winner Finneas, Danish singer Lukas Graham and his backing band Beoga have also withdrawn from remaining dates.
Wembley’s venues continue to pull in major American names — the borough also plays host to events such as the Union Jack Classic college football fixture at Wembley — and the October show is set to be one of the most talked-about gigs of the autumn. Tickets for the Free Palestine tour go on sale on Wednesday, September 30 via macklemore.com.
In other Wembley news, a local family this month marked one year since the fatal shooting of their son near Wembley Stadium.
