Nine major U.S. concert venues have rejected rapper Macklemore’s upcoming benefit tour for Palestinians, following his removal from Ed Sheeran’s tour in September 2026 over pro-Palestinian onstage remarks.
Nine major American arenas initially provided available dates through the end of the year to Macklemore’s team, including New York City’s Madison Square Garden, Los Angeles’s Crypto.com Arena, and Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, according to The Guardian. Those dates were pulled once venue operators realized the events were benefit concerts supporting Palestinians, according to an Instagram statement from the rapper.
Venues Turn Down Dates After Mid-September Bookings
Arenas Blocked Macklemore from Hosting Benefit Shows
Macklemore listed New Jersey’s Prudential Center, Long Island’s UBS Arena, the Intuit Dome and Kia Forum in Los Angeles, San Francisco’s Chase Center, and Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena alongside Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, and Crypto.com Arena as the blocked U.S, according to Variety. venues. By mid-September, we received available dates at these arenas through the end of the year,
Macklemore wrote. But once they found out these were my benefit shows for Palestine, those dates were suddenly off the table.
[Macklemore says that nine US arenas turned down his Free Palestine tour] “Rapper called out ‘intimidation, manipulation and suppression’ in a social media post, claiming major arenas refused to host him after the Ed Sheeran controversy“https://t.co/yvrfXS3i2N
Artist Denounces Industry Suppression on Social Media
In a post spanning seven Instagram slides, the 43-year-old artist called out the suppression and manipulation he experienced, declaring that he would rather lose every opportunity in the industry than protect individuals who place business ties above human lives. He also referenced the historic midterm elections and Abdul El-Sayed winning a Senate seat in Michigan, noting that AIPAC spent $42 million trying to defeat him in a race won on a platform that included ending the campaign in Gaza and halting U.S. arms sales to Israel. A spokesperson for Madison Square Garden disputed the reasoning behind the cancellation in a statement to the media, asserting that we have some of the busiest venues in the world with extremely limited availability and he’s not an arena level act.
Representatives for the other targeted arenas did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Ed Sheeran Tour Fallout Preceded U.S. Venue Rejections
MSG responds to Macklemore's claim that the arena turned down his "Free Palestine" tour: "We have some of the busiest venues in the world with extremely limited availability and he's not an arena level act." 🔗: https://t.co/SwLw8BEb3h pic.twitter.com/fABHynZlZN
Macklemore was removed from Loop Tour in September 2026 ahead of these domestic tour roadblocks. Kraft defended the decision, stating that the venue is committed to providing a welcoming environment for all guests and ensuring that events held there do not provide a platform for hate speech, based on Macklemore’s recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran’s shows, and history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery.
Tour Proceeds Support Humanitarian Relief for Palestinians
All other opening acts and Sheeran’s backing band quit the tour in solidarity following his removal from the bill. Macklemore subsequently organized the Free Palestine Tour
across Europe, playing sold-out dates in Dublin, Paris, and London in late October 2026 with guest appearances from artists including Hozier, Mark Ruffalo, Susan Sarandon, Aurora, Paloma Faith, Kneecap, and Portugal. The Man. Proceeds from these European shows benefited organizations providing medical care, humanitarian assistance, and other support to Palestinians, drawing tens of thousands of attendees from varied backgrounds.
Plans for Outdoor and Alternative U.S. Stages
Traditional indoor arenas may be closed to his benefit concerts, but Macklemore intends to pursue alternative options for American audiences.
Macklemore shares the U. S. venues that declined to host his Free Palestine Tour: • Madison Square Garden • Prudential Center • Barclays Center • UBS Arena • Intuit Dome • Kia Forum • https://t.co/Q8eBMHf4jf Arena • Chase Center • Climate Pledge Arena pic.twitter.com/ksQHbuD6o2
We’ll probably just take that shit outside where it belonged in the first place. Our commitment to raising funds and standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people remains the same.
Macklemore, Rapper
The rapper emphasized that his core mission of supporting humanitarian efforts through music remains unchanged despite facing these potential venue limitations in the United States, adding, We are not going to be silenced by venue executives or anyone else who tries to stand in the way of Palestinian liberation and human rights.
Earlier coverage: Macklemore says U.S. arenas refused his tour
MSG tells TMZ they didn’t book Macklemore because he isn’t an “arena level act”, despite him immediately selling out his Free Palestine arena tour: “We have some of the busiest venues in the world with extremely limited availability and he's not an arena level act.” pic.twitter.com/HKKVcYgyvS
More on Nine
Related reading