Macklemore cancels Dubai Coca-Cola Arena concert

The show by the Hind's Hall rapper will not be rescheduled with refunds issued automatically

Macklemore is a vocal supporter of Palestine and has repeatedly called for a ceasefire. Photo: Instagram / Macklemore

American rapper Macklemore has cancelled his coming Dubai show, which had been set for October 4 at Coca-Cola Arena.

The Grammy-winning artist, who released Palestine-themed single Hind's Hall in May, had originally been scheduled to perform last October at the same venue.

Ticketholders were informed on Friday of the cancellation by Platinum List, which also noted that all purchases would be refunded automatically within 21 working days. The event has also been removed from Coca-Cola Arena's website. At the time of writing, the performer had not commented on the cancellation on his social media channels.

The cancellation has left many Palestinian fans in the UAE disappointed.

"I'm saddened that he's cancelled the show. As a Palestinian, I became a fan of Macklemore because of his outspoken support for the people of Gaza, and was looking forward to seeing him perform the song live," Rita Arar, 24, who runs the TikTok channel Palestinian POV, tells The National.

Macklemore released his third studio album, Ben, last year to moderate success, but the activist single Hind's Hall won him many new fans, making him one of the most prominent figures in the music world to voice his support for a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Gaza war, with the death toll now surpassing 40,000.

The song is named after Hind Rajab, 6, who was killed in Gaza after waiting days for aid and the ensuing campus protests in the US. It samples Fairouz's Ana La Habibi.

In the song, Macklemore expressed solidarity with campus protesters in the US and his views on the politicians involved in the geopolitical conflict.

The song, the most prominent track calling for peace written about the ongoing war, has been streamed more than 30 million times on Spotify, according to the platform. On Instagram, the video has garnered more than 175 million views. Macklemore announced that all proceeds for the song would go to UNRWA.

He performed the song live in May at a New Zealand concert, commenting on stage: “I stand here today and every day forward for the rest of my life in solidarity with the people of Palestine, with an open heart, in the belief that our collective liberation is at stake – that we all deserve freedom in this life of ours."

While the singer first became popular for his novelty single Thrift Shop in 2012, he has a history of social justice-minded songs, including the 2016 song White Privilege II, recorded with artist Jamila Woods.

He has previously performed in the UAE, having headlined Red Fest DXB in 2019.