Macklemore reveals arenas refusing his Palestine shows: ‘Never experienced anything like this’

Macklemore had hopes of expanding his Free Palestine tour across the pond (Picture: Reuters) Macklemore has named and shamed several major concert venues for ‘turning down’ his Free Palestine shows. The Can’t Hold Us rapper recently performed in Dublin, Paris, and London alongside other stars, with the proceeds donated to organisations ‘supporting Palestine and the Palestinian movement’. Macklemore, real name Ben Haggerty, created the shows himself after being dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour due to his vocal solidarity for Palestine. He has called the first gigs ‘three of the most beautiful [he’s] ever been a part of’, having hoped to take the tour global and to fans in America. However, he has now revealed that, despite his best efforts, doors have been firmly ‘closed’. Taking to Instagram, the 43-year-old musician penned a lengthy statement, telling his followers that the plan from the beginning was to expand the Free Palestine tour across the US. ‘But after weeks of reaching out,’ he wrote, ‘nine major American arenas have turned us down.’ He named these as Madison Square Garden, Prudential Center, Barclays Centre, UBS Arena, Intuit Dome, Kia Forum, Crypto.com Arena, Chase Center, and Climate Pledge Arena. ‘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,’ Macklemore said. ‘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. ‘In over twenty years of touring, I’ve never experienced anything like this.’ He went on to say this is ‘not an isolated incident’, saying, for decades, various other artists, poets, musicians, and more have ‘faced consequences’ for being openly pro-Palestine. Macklemore announced his own tour in solidarity with Palestine after being dropped as Ed Sheeran’s opener (Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia) ‘Many have paid a greater price than I have.’ He also said in his statement that his ‘only real regret’ now is not speaking publicly sooner. ‘At the time, I didn’t believe that centring what was happening to me was worth taking any attention away from the genocide in Palestine. ‘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.’ He added: ‘But at this point, I’m three years past giving two s***s about maintaining any relationships, business or personal, with anyone that isn’t riding for a Free Palestine.’ Macklemore said he would ‘rather lose every opportunity’ in showbiz than ‘spend another day protecting people who value their business relationships with Israel more than they value Palestinian human life’. ‘Fear begins to lose its power the moment we realise we’re not standing alone’ (Picture: Kieran Frost/Redferns) He claimed the words ‘Free Palestine’ represent ‘a threat’ to the venue owners because the phrase ‘challenges the systems of power they have built their fortunes on’. The Thrift Shop vocalist wrapped up by acknowledging the ‘fear’ of other artists who are reluctant to take a stand, having ‘wrestled’ himself with whether to be outspoken or not. ‘But I believe that fear begins to lose its power the moment we realise we’re not standing alone.’ Insisting that the ‘tides are turning’, he praised the sold-out concerts in Europe comprising over 40 other artists for platforming ‘Palestinian liberation’. ‘There will be more shows for Palestine,’ he insisted. ‘We’ll keep working with other artists and organisers, continuing where we left off in Europe. ‘We’ll probably just take that s**t outside where it belonged in the first place. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video ‘Our commitment to raising funds and standing in solidarity with Palestinian people remains the same. ‘There comes a point when the world changes, not because those in power give us permission, but because the people stop asking for it. ‘We build our own stages.’ ‘They may own the arenas,’ he concluded, ‘but they do not own the people who fill them. And they never will.’ Macklemore’s latest message comes after he also called out the 50 peers who urged the Home Secretary to ban him from Britain. Speaking at Wembley Arena, he told the crowd: ‘This is the story tonight of love. Regardless of what them 50 Lords have to say, this is a story of equality for all human beings around this earth. ‘So we came here to focus on love. We came here to celebrate life. We came here to be in solidarity, and we came here to remind one another of our light.’ The concert welcomed Paloma Faith and activist Greta Thunberg as part of the line-up, while Hozier and Kneecap joined him in Dublin, standing firmly with Macklemore after he was axed from the Loop Tour. In September, the star was sensationally removed from his opening slot by Ed’s promoter after he expressed a pro-Palestine stance. The Thinking Out Loud songwriter faced overwhelming backlash for seemingly obeying the pressure of Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft, who allegedly told him he would not be allowed to play at his venue if Macklemore remained. While Ed apologised tearfully onstage, his words were accused of being less ‘heartfelt’ as he appeared to be reading off a teleprompter. The Grammy winner was already left without supporting acts or a backing band after they, too, sided with Macklemore, leaving Ed to pick up the pieces. He admitted at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia that he had made ‘mistakes’ and that he ‘really didn’t know’ whether the tour could continue. ‘In these situations, you really find out who your friends are, and it’s been a weird week. I just feel like it happened very quickly,’ the performer said. He added that his ‘heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of civilians’ lives, children’s lives’, condemning ‘systemic injustice’. ‘I am already speaking to people across the spectrum to work out how to make a contribution that helps victims of these terrible times, and listening and learning because I do not know enough.’ Switched On Get plugged into the week’s must-watch shows, unmissable moments, and expert reviews with Metro TV Editor Sabrina Barr.