Macklemore says he can't get U.S. venues to book his Free Palestine Tour; MSG responds [Updated]

Macklemore's Free Palestine Tour, which aimed to raise awareness for the Palestinian cause, faced significant challenges in securing venues in the United States. After his successful European tour, the rapper announced plans to bring his shows to the U.S., but nine prominent arenas, including Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, Prudential Center, UBS Arena, as well as Los Angeles-based Kia Forum, Crypto.com Arena, and Intuit Dome, promptly declined his request.

The rapper also mentioned that San Francisco's Chase Center and Seattle's Climate Pledge Arena turned him down. Macklemore highlighted that after weeks of negotiations, these venues abruptly changed their stance once they discovered the tour's cause. In an Instagram post, he expressed frustration, stating that after twenty years in the industry, he had never encountered such resistance.

He emphasized his stance, saying he would rather forgo opportunities in his career than endorse businesses that prioritize relationships with Israel over Palestinian lives. The issue is particularly notable as Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, played a pivotal role in initially removing Macklemore from Ed Sheeran's tour.

Kraft reportedly pressured other stadium owners to apply similar pressure, aiming to have the rapper removed from the Free Palestine Tour. However, his European dates proved popular, selling out quickly. Recently, a spokesperson for MSG Entertainment, managing Madison Square Garden, commented that the venue's schedule is extremely tight, and Macklemore's profile does not align with an arena-level act.