Macklemore says nine US arenas turned down Palestine concerts
The rapper said the venues dropped plans for his benefit shows once they learned the money would go to Palestinians, and he vowed to keep organizing them.
Nine large American arenas had declined to host concerts supporting Palestinians, US rapper Macklemore said on Friday, Turkey's state-run news agency Anadolu Agency reported.
In a lengthy Instagram post, the Grammy-winning artist said he had hoped to take his Free Palestine benefit tour to the United States after shows in Dublin, Paris and London.
He named Madison Square Garden, Prudential Center, Barclays Center, UBS Arena, Intuit Dome, Kia Forum, Crypto.com Arena, Chase Center and Climate Pledge Arena among the venues that refused.
He said his team had been offered open dates at those arenas through the end of the year by mid-September, but the slots vanished once the operators learned the proceeds would support Palestine.
"The doors were closed," he said, adding that he had never encountered anything similar in more than 20 years of touring.
Macklemore alleged that powerful figures in the entertainment industry were trying to silence artists who speak publicly for Palestinians, and that business interests were being placed ahead of free expression.
He said the United States takes pride in free speech, and he questioned why wealthy individuals should decide which causes artists are permitted to back.
He also said he regretted not speaking out earlier about similar pressure he had faced.
He described the European leg as a success, saying three sold-out concerts drew tens of thousands of people and more than 40 artists and speakers who backed Palestinian rights.
Despite the setbacks, he said he would continue organizing benefit concerts, possibly outside the United States, and that his commitment to raising funds for Palestinians had not changed.
Macklemore has performed in the American music scene for more than two decades, and the dispute adds to ongoing debate in the entertainment industry over how artists should address the conflict in Gaza and the wider Middle East.