Macklemore’s upcoming performance in London has sparked a political row, with 50 peers calling for the rapper to be denied entry to the UK over concerns surrounding a charity linked to his latest tour.

The group has written to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, urging her to revoke the musician’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before he takes to the stage at the OVO Arena Wembley on October 30.

According to The Telegraph, the letter was drafted by Baron Walney, a former Government adviser on political violence. It argues that allowing the American artist to perform could be ‘not conducive to the public good’.

The controversy centres on the Free Palestine Tour, through which Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty, has pledged to direct some ticket revenue towards organisations supporting Palestinians.

The rapper has also attracted criticism over his political commentary. Following the October 7 attacks in Israel, a post attributed to him on X stated: ‘When people are occupied, resistance is justified’.

In their letter, the peers questioned whether a visiting artist should be permitted to raise money in Britain for an organisation they have accused of glorifying terrorism and targeting elected officials.

They wrote: ‘A foreign national proposes to come to Britain to raise money, from a British audience, for an organisation whose record of glorifying terrorism and of intimidating elected representatives should concern any government.’

The letter also argued that preventing the performance would not stop people from donating to other humanitarian causes or listening to the musician’s work.

‘A refusal would be proportionate and narrowly targeted. It would not prevent anyone in this country supporting the humanitarian organisations on Mr Haggerty’s list, nor restrict access to his music.

‘It would simply decline to grant a foreign national the privilege of raising funds on British soil for an organisation of this kind.’

Why Macklemore is taking his message on tour

The planned Wembley show follows a turbulent period for Macklemore, who was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour after publicly voicing his support for Palestine.

Rather than stepping away from live performances, the rapper went on to announce a separate tour centred on the same cause, promising that a share of the money generated by ticket sales would benefit organisations supporting Palestinians.

The tour began at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Thursday, where Macklemore used his performance to speak about the suffering of people caught up in conflicts around the world.

He urged the audience to support freedom for Palestine and other communities facing hardship, including people in Sudan, Congo, Lebanon and Haiti.

‘Being a human being in this moment is not complicated,’ he said. ‘It is not political. It is human to have a heart, to watch others suffering and to say, Not anymore! So I say, free Palestine. I say, free Palestine!

‘I say, free Sudan. I say, free Congo, Lebanon, to Haiti, to all the people that are affected by ICE in America, who are afraid to leave their houses.’

Funding allegations at the centre of the row

The campaign to stop Macklemore entering the country is focused on the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), which has been identified as one of the organisations expected to benefit from funds raised through the tour.

The organisation has faced accusations of expressing support for terrorist groups and maintaining links with them. It denies the allegations.

The dispute raises questions about whether the proposed donations could affect the rapper’s ability to perform in Britain, as well as the extent to which his political activism may influence decisions about his entry into the country.

Macklemore is due to appear at Wembley on Friday, October 30, as part of the Free Palestine Tour. It remains the focus of growing political opposition ahead of the scheduled performance.

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