On September 19, it was announced that Macklemore would headline the Neon City Festival in Las Vegas. Less than a week later, on September 24, the festival shared that “Macklemore will no longer be performing due to unforeseen circumstances”.
Between Neon City’s announcements, Macklemore performed at a charity festival in his hometown of Seattle called Palestine Will Live Forever, according to footage circulating online.
Macklemore has not publicly commented on his departure from the Neon City Festival. However, the two Seattle sports franchises he is affiliated with have said, “We believe that sports bring people together. We are aware of Macklemore’s increasingly divisive comments and they do not reflect the values of our respective ownership groups, leagues or organizations,” the Seattle Kraken and Seattle Sounders FC said in a joint statement. “We are currently evaluating our collective options in this matter.”
Additionally, a member of the Seattle Mariners front office said: “We are aware of the incident and agree with the other teams of the city. sports and music should connect us, not divide us. We continue to follow and study the latest developments.”
Macklemore has become an outspoken supporter of Palestine, and the Seattle festival where he performed supports several aid organizations: Pious Projects, HEAL Palestine, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. He recently released Hind’s Hall 2. , the follow-up to his pro-Palestinian song “Hind’s Hall.” The new song, which Macklemore performed at the Palestine Will Live Forever event, features Palestinian American artists Anis and Amer Zahr, Gaza-born rapper MC Abdul, and the Palestinian Youth Choir of Los Angeles.
