Macklemore has said that nine large arenas in the United States declined to host dates on his Free Palestine tour, according to Reuters. The rapper named Madison Square Garden among the venues that turned the shows down, the outlet reported on Friday.
Coverage of his remarks varied in detail. Variety reported that Macklemore accused Madison Square Garden and eight other arenas of barring the tour, while Showbiz411 listed Barclays Center and Crypto Center among the venues he cited alongside Madison Square Garden. Reuters' account centered on his statement that US venues rejected the tour.
The tour concluded in London, where The Hollywood Reporter said he closed out the run. At that show, Metro.co.uk reported, he called out 50 members of the House of Lords who had tried to stop the concert from going ahead. The Hollywood Reporter quoted him saying it would have been more uncomfortable for him to remain silent than to speak.
The remarks add a US leg to a controversy that had already played out in Britain, where the London date drew opposition in Parliament's upper chamber before proceeding. Macklemore's account of the American venues rests on his own public statements as reported by the outlets above; the venues themselves have not been quoted in the available coverage.
Watch for responses from Madison Square Garden and the other named arenas, and for whether any US dates are announced through alternative venues.
