Macklemore announces $1 million donation to Palestinian relief groups amid tour dispute

US rapper Macklemore has announced a $1 million donation to Palestinian relief organizations, amid controversy over his removal from the lineup of British singer Ed Sheeran’s US tour.

In a post on X, Macklemore said the money would come from proceeds connected to his planned participation in the tour and described the donation as an expression of solidarity with Palestinians.

The rapper said Palestinian lives were “no less valuable than anyone else’s” and described support for Palestinians living under occupation and seeking greater freedom as a humanitarian issue.

Macklemore also called on US billionaire and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to make a similar contribution.

The announcement follows a dispute over Macklemore’s removal from Sheeran’s tour lineup. According to the report, other artists scheduled to appear as opening acts subsequently withdrew in protest, creating uncertainty over parts of the tour schedule.

Macklemore has suggested that his removal was connected to his outspoken support for Palestinians. Earlier in September, Macklemore shared footage of a performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in which he repeatedly chanted “Free Palestine” while performing his protest song “Hind’s Hall.”

During the performance, Macklemore also sought to distinguish his criticism of Israeli government policies from hostility toward Jewish people.

The rapper later said several US venues had told tour organizers they would not allow him to perform and linked the development to pressure from Kraft.

Macklemore has been a prominent supporter of the Palestinian cause during Israel’s genocide in Gaza. He previously pledged proceeds from “Hind’s Hall 2,” recorded with Palestinian artists, to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).