Macklemore has claimed that nine major US arenas rejected dates for his Free Palestine benefit tour, after shows in Dublin, Paris and London.
The rapper said he had intended to bring the concert series to the United States but that venues withdrew once they learned the performances would raise funds for Palestine.
“A lot of you have been asking about US dates for The Free Palestine benefit tour, and I wanted to give you an update,” Macklemore wrote on Instagram.
He described the European concerts as “three of the most beautiful I’ve ever been a part of” before alleging that attempts to secure American venues had been blocked.
“From the beginning, our plan was to bring this tour home to the US but after weeks of reaching out, nine major American arenas have turned us down,” he said.
“Once they found out these were my benefit shows for Palestine, those dates were suddenly off the table. The doors were closed.”
Madison Square Garden in New York was among the venues he said had ended discussions. A spokesperson for the arena rejected the suggestion that the decision was linked to the tour’s political focus, saying Macklemore was “not an arena level act”.
“We have some of the busiest venues in the world with extremely limited availability and he’s not an arena level act,” the spokesperson said.
Macklemore, 43, was dropped by Ed Sheeran’s touring company earlier this year after chanting “Free Palestine” during two concerts at MetLife Stadium.
Despite the setbacks, he said he would continue working with artists and organisers to raise money for Palestinians.
“There comes a point when the world changes, not because those in power give us permission, but because the people stop asking for it,” he said.
“We will build our own stages. They may own the arenas, but they do not own the people who fill them. And they never will.”
