Dearborn Mayor Invites Macklemore for Free City Concert After Tour Removal

Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud has publicly invited rapper Macklemore to perform a free, city-sponsored concert after the artist was removed from Ed Sheeran's U.S. stadium tour. The invitation, extended on social media on September 14, came after multiple venues refused to host shows with Macklemore on the lineup following his pro-Palestine speech at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4 and 5. Hammoud, Dearborn's first Muslim and Arab-American mayor, posted on X, "If they don't want you performing in their stadiums, you're always welcome in Dearborn. Come put on a show here. We'll make it a free concert, sponsored by the City, and help make it one of the best around. We stand with you and for a free Palestine." The tour's promoter, Messina Touring Group, stated that venues for upcoming dates would not allow a concert to proceed with Macklemore as an opener, which would have resulted in cancellations impacting hundreds of thousands of fans. The decision followed objections from stadium owners, most prominently New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.