Macklemore is speaking out after what he claims was another setback in his efforts to support Palestinian artists.
The “Thrift Shop” rapper revealed on Friday that nine major U.S. arenas declined to host his planned “Free Palestine” benefit concerts, despite initially offering available dates.
According to Macklemore, his team began contacting venues in mid-September, shortly after he was removed from Ed Sheeran’s stadium tour.
“But once they found out these were my benefit shows for Palestine,” he wrote, “those dates were suddenly off the table.”
Among the venues Macklemore identified were Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, San Francisco’s Chase Center and Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena. A Madison Square Garden spokeswoman pushed back, citing limited availability and claiming the rapper is “not an arena-level act.”
yeah fuck all the stadiums listed that refused macklemore to perform for his Palestine benefit shows. i stand with macklemore. https://t.co/knowMm6bas
— isa (@jyndjarin) November 6, 2026
Macklemore’s departure from Sheeran’s tour came after he publicly declared “Free Palestine” and performed “Hind’s Hall,” a song criticizing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, during September performances at MetLife Stadium.
The rapper has since taken his benefit concerts overseas, performing in London, Paris and Dublin in October.
“Yet we’ve reached a point where a handful of billionaires can decide which causes are acceptable, which voices are welcome and which human lives are worth defending,” he wrote.