Macklemore stated that nine major U.S. arenas, including Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center in New York, the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, and Chase Center in San Francisco, withdrew previously offered dates after learning the tour would benefit Palestine. He described the rejections as consistent across venues, with 'the doors were closed' despite initial availability through year-end.
A Madison Square Garden spokesperson stated the venue has 'extremely limited availability' and noted Macklemore is not an 'arena-level act.' No responses were received from representatives of the other eight venues named by the rapper.
Macklemore previously faced backlash after being removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour following pro-Palestinian remarks, with some stadium operators opposing his participation. He expressed determination to continue the 'Free Palestine' tour, stating, 'We’ll probably just take that shit outside where it belonged in the first place.'