Grammy Award-winning artist Macklemore said he is getting pushback from concert venues as he brings his Free Palestine benefit concerts to the U.S.
The rapper behind hits including “Thrift Shop” and “Can’t Hold Us” said on Instagram that nine U.S. venues told him in mid-September that they had available dates for concerts, but “once they found out these were my benefit shows for Palestine, those dates were suddenly off the table. The doors were closed.”
Macklemore performs in 2024 in Australia.
(Morgan Hancock / Getty Images)
The nine venues include Inglewood’s Kia Forum, L.A.’s Crypto.com Arena and Madison Square Garden in New York.
Earlier this year, Macklemore said he was removed from Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour after venue owners told Sheeran they would not host him at their stadiums if Macklemore was still part of the concert. Sheeran has said his promoters made the decision, according to the BBC.
Macklemore launched his Free Palestine tour in October, playing in Dublin, Paris and London. The concert proceeds benefit organizations supporting the Palestinian movement, according to the tour’s website.
Fans pose as they make their way into the “Macklemore & Friends “Free Palestine” Tour last month at Wembley Arena in London.
(Alberto Pezzali / Getty Images)
Representatives for the Kia Forum and AEG, which owns Crypto.com Arena, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
MSG Entertainment, which owns Madison Square Garden, said that Macklemore is “not an arena level act.”
“We have some of the busiest venues in the world with extremely limited availability,” MSG Entertainment, said in a statement.
Spokespeople for the talent agency that reps Macklemore did not immediately return a request for comment.
Weighing in on the Palestinian issue can be a sensitive subject in Hollywood, as some people in the entertainment industry have received backlash on their social media posts on the topic.
Aerial view of Crypto.com Arena and the L.A. Live sports and entertainment district.
(AEG)
In 2023, a prominent agent at Creative Artists Agency stepped aside from her leadership roles at the company after she reposted inflammatory comments on Instagram calling Israel’s response to Hamas “genocide.” That same year, actor Melissa Barrera was dropped from her role in “Scream VII” after she shared pro-Palestinian statements on Instagram.
The New York Knicks celebrated their NBA championship Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, yet hardly anything went according to plan. And LeBron James found himself smack dab in the swirl of the fierce and funny festivities.
James made his Philadelphia 76ers debut memorable, helping his new team defeat the Knicks, 106-100. Asked by NBC sideline reporter Zora Stephenson if he was enjoying spoiling the Knicks’ ring night, James grinned and said, “Yeah, I do. It’s pretty special.”
Last seen in Los Angeles bidding a hasty farewell after eight seasons with the Lakers — Times columnist Bill Plaschke wrote that “He left before the door could hit him in the butt” — James, 41, began his 24th NBA season by contributing 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the 76ers’ victory.
LeBron James of the 76ers exchanges words with fans during a regular-season opener against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
(Sarah Stier / Getty Images)
And James did so even while jawing with courtside Knicks fans about using a helicopter to commute from his new home in New York to Philadelphia. Of course, famed director and Knicks fan fixture Spike Lee couldn’t stay out of it.
“Hey, LeBron, just because you have a helicopter and you live in New York doesn’t mean we’re gonna cheer for you,” one fan yelled, according to NBC broadcaster Mike Tirico. Another fan dinged James for being soft simply because he lived in L.A. for so long.
James couldn’t let that one go, yelling back, “Ain’t nothing soft in the Midwest. I don’t know what the f—- you talking about. I’m not from the West Coast, I’m from Ohio, baby.”
Lee, resplendent in a bright orange and blue pinstriped suit with matching hat, stood from his front-row seat, seemingly serving as conciliator. Much of the exchange was caught on camera by NBC, with Tirico and fellow broadcaster Reggie Miller providing commentary.
“[James] said hello to somebody over here,” Tirico said. “Spike Lee is over for a look and a chat. … LeBron is taking the helicopter rides back and forth from Philadelphia to New York and engaged here in some front-row convo.”
Miller chimed in, “That’s the last thing you wanna do is get LeBron going here in this building…. And guess who’s playing peacemaker? Spike Lee! He’s over here playing peacemaker. Boy, I have seen everything.”
Fanatics is supplying James with the helicopter as part of a multiyear, exclusive trading card and collectibles contract signed in 2024. Although the deal raised the antenna of investigative reporter Pablo Torre — who won a Pulitzer Prize for uncovering the Clippers’ salary-cap circumvention with Kawhi Leonard — NBA commissioner Adam Silver called the helicopter arrangement “perfectly appropriate.”
LeBron James performs a pregame ritual before the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
(Caleb Bowlin / Getty Images)
Silver was at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. The Knicks celebrated their first NBA championship in 53 years with a ring ceremony and raising a banner to the rafters. They did their best to laugh off a typo on the T-shirts fans received that proclaimed the team as the 2026-2027 champions.
Despite the testy exchange with fans and enduring their “We don’t want you” chant while he shot free throws, James softened what he had said to Stephenson, sidestepping a suggestion by a reporter that the 76ers ruined the Knicks’ celebration.
“I wouldn’t say that,” James said. “It was a great night for New York fans. Fifty-plus years. I was a part of that at one point where we hadn’t won a major championship in Cleveland in over 50 years. The fans will never forget this moment.”
Macklemore says L.A. area venues rejected ‘Free Palestine’ concerts
Grammy Award-winning artist Macklemore said he is getting pushback from concert venues as he brings his Free Palestine benefit concerts to the U.S.
The rapper behind hits including “Thrift Shop” and “Can’t Hold Us” said on Instagram that nine U.S. venues told him in mid-September that they had available dates for concerts, but “once they found out these were my benefit shows for Palestine, those dates were suddenly off the table. The doors were closed.”
Macklemore performs in 2024 in Australia.
(Morgan Hancock / Getty Images)
The nine venues include Inglewood’s Kia Forum, L.A.’s Crypto.com Arena and Madison Square Garden in New York.
Earlier this year, Macklemore said he was removed from Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour after venue owners told Sheeran they would not host him at their stadiums if Macklemore was still part of the concert. Sheeran has said his promoters made the decision, according to the BBC.
Macklemore launched his Free Palestine tour in October, playing in Dublin, Paris and London. The concert proceeds benefit organizations supporting the Palestinian movement, according to the tour’s website.
Fans pose as they make their way into the “Macklemore & Friends “Free Palestine” Tour last month at Wembley Arena in London.
(Alberto Pezzali / Getty Images)
Representatives for the Kia Forum and AEG, which owns Crypto.com Arena, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
MSG Entertainment, which owns Madison Square Garden, said that Macklemore is “not an arena level act.”
“We have some of the busiest venues in the world with extremely limited availability,” MSG Entertainment, said in a statement.
Spokespeople for the talent agency that reps Macklemore did not immediately return a request for comment.
Weighing in on the Palestinian issue can be a sensitive subject in Hollywood, as some people in the entertainment industry have received backlash on their social media posts on the topic.
Aerial view of Crypto.com Arena and the L.A. Live sports and entertainment district.
(AEG)
In 2023, a prominent agent at Creative Artists Agency stepped aside from her leadership roles at the company after she reposted inflammatory comments on Instagram calling Israel’s response to Hamas “genocide.” That same year, actor Melissa Barrera was dropped from her role in “Scream VII” after she shared pro-Palestinian statements on Instagram.
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LeBron James’s 76ers debut: jawing with fans, spoiling ring night
The New York Knicks celebrated their NBA championship Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, yet hardly anything went according to plan. And LeBron James found himself smack dab in the swirl of the fierce and funny festivities.
James made his Philadelphia 76ers debut memorable, helping his new team defeat the Knicks, 106-100. Asked by NBC sideline reporter Zora Stephenson if he was enjoying spoiling the Knicks’ ring night, James grinned and said, “Yeah, I do. It’s pretty special.”
Last seen in Los Angeles bidding a hasty farewell after eight seasons with the Lakers — Times columnist Bill Plaschke wrote that “He left before the door could hit him in the butt” — James, 41, began his 24th NBA season by contributing 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the 76ers’ victory.
LeBron James of the 76ers exchanges words with fans during a regular-season opener against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
(Sarah Stier / Getty Images)
And James did so even while jawing with courtside Knicks fans about using a helicopter to commute from his new home in New York to Philadelphia. Of course, famed director and Knicks fan fixture Spike Lee couldn’t stay out of it.
“Hey, LeBron, just because you have a helicopter and you live in New York doesn’t mean we’re gonna cheer for you,” one fan yelled, according to NBC broadcaster Mike Tirico. Another fan dinged James for being soft simply because he lived in L.A. for so long.
James couldn’t let that one go, yelling back, “Ain’t nothing soft in the Midwest. I don’t know what the f—- you talking about. I’m not from the West Coast, I’m from Ohio, baby.”
Lee, resplendent in a bright orange and blue pinstriped suit with matching hat, stood from his front-row seat, seemingly serving as conciliator. Much of the exchange was caught on camera by NBC, with Tirico and fellow broadcaster Reggie Miller providing commentary.
“[James] said hello to somebody over here,” Tirico said. “Spike Lee is over for a look and a chat. … LeBron is taking the helicopter rides back and forth from Philadelphia to New York and engaged here in some front-row convo.”
Miller chimed in, “That’s the last thing you wanna do is get LeBron going here in this building…. And guess who’s playing peacemaker? Spike Lee! He’s over here playing peacemaker. Boy, I have seen everything.”
Fanatics is supplying James with the helicopter as part of a multiyear, exclusive trading card and collectibles contract signed in 2024. Although the deal raised the antenna of investigative reporter Pablo Torre — who won a Pulitzer Prize for uncovering the Clippers’ salary-cap circumvention with Kawhi Leonard — NBA commissioner Adam Silver called the helicopter arrangement “perfectly appropriate.”
LeBron James performs a pregame ritual before the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
(Caleb Bowlin / Getty Images)
Silver was at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. The Knicks celebrated their first NBA championship in 53 years with a ring ceremony and raising a banner to the rafters. They did their best to laugh off a typo on the T-shirts fans received that proclaimed the team as the 2026-2027 champions.
Despite the testy exchange with fans and enduring their “We don’t want you” chant while he shot free throws, James softened what he had said to Stephenson, sidestepping a suggestion by a reporter that the 76ers ruined the Knicks’ celebration.
“I wouldn’t say that,” James said. “It was a great night for New York fans. Fifty-plus years. I was a part of that at one point where we hadn’t won a major championship in Cleveland in over 50 years. The fans will never forget this moment.”
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