Macklemore says nine US arenas rejected Free Palestine tour

In a statement posted on 6 November, the rapper said his team had been given available dates at the arenas through the end of the year by mid-September. Once the venues learnt the concerts were benefit shows for Palestine, he said, the dates were withdrawn.

“The conversations were all different, but the result was the same,” he wrote, according to Pitchfork. “These shows were not going to be allowed to happen in these venues.”

He named 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 representative said the company’s venues had “extremely limited availability” and that Macklemore was “not an arena-level act”. The FADER reported that representatives for the other eight venues did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Macklemore has already performed the benefit shows in Dublin, Paris and London. His tour page says proceeds will go to organisations supporting Palestine and the Palestinian movement. He launched the tour in Dublin after being removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour following pro-Palestinian remarks.

Macklemore said he would continue working with other artists and organisers on more shows, possibly outdoors.