Macklemore Unveils His 'Free Palestine Tour'

Macklemore says getting booted from Ed Sheeran's stadium tour has cleared the way for his own: a three-city "Free Palestine Tour" this fall, with shows set for Dublin, London, and Paris, reports NBC News. Announced on Instagram with the line that his "schedule freed up a bit," the rapper said all proceeds will go to groups aiding Palestinians. "What happened to me is bigger than one artist or one stage," he wrote. "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."

The tour will include as-yet unannounced artists "who understand that our platforms mean very little if we're only willing to use them when it's safe," as well as a handful of US dates, notes Pitchfork. Tickets go on sale Wednesday. The move follows his allegation that US venues gave Sheeran an ultimatum after Macklemore performed "Hind's Hall" and delivered a pro-Palestinian speech in New Jersey, prompting intervention from New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Sheeran says promoters, not he, dropped Macklemore; the dispute has widened into a debate over artists' speech amid the Israel-Gaza war.