Macklemore Says Nine U.S. Arenas Rejected Benefit Tour

Macklemore said nine U.S. arenas had withdrawn or declined dates for his Free Palestine benefit tour after learning the shows would raise money for Palestinians. The rapper named Madison Square Garden, Climate Pledge Arena, Barclays Center, UBS Arena, Prudential Center, Intuit Dome, Kia Forum, Crypto.com Arena and Chase Center in a social media statement on November 6. Macklemore said his team had been offered dates at the venues by mid-September, with availability extending through the end of the year. He said the dates were taken off the table after the arenas learned the concerts were benefits for Palestinians. The reports do not independently establish what happened in each booking discussion, and the other eight venues did not provide their own explanations in the accounts available. Madison Square Garden’s operator, MSG Entertainment, offered a different explanation for its venue. A spokesperson said the company’s properties have extremely limited availability and that Macklemore is “not an arena-level act.” That response addresses MSG’s position, but does not explain the decisions at the other named arenas. The dispute follows Macklemore’s three European benefit...