By Salma El-Sakka
Rapper Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, said Friday that nine major U.S. arenas have refused to host his “Free Palestine” benefit tour after learning the shows were fundraisers for Palestine.
Arenas Named in Statement
The venues include Madison Square Garden, Prudential Center, Barclays Center, UBS Arena, Intuit Dome, Kia Forum, Crypto.com Arena, Chase Center, and Climate Pledge Arena. Macklemore said dates were available through the end of the year until the arenas discovered the nature of the shows.
Background
The rapper announced the initial European leg of the tour in September after being dropped from Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour over comments he made about Gaza. He performed in London, Paris, and Dublin last month.
