Grammy winner, US-based rapper Macklemore announced on Sunday that he had cancelled his show in Dubai due to the role of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the Sudan civil war. He used Instagram to convey the announcement to his fans.
Macklemore was scheduled to perform at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena in October 2024. The event was marketed as a “glorious” concert experience. There have been no updates regarding a date change or an alternative performance in place of the rapper’s concert, and people who had purchased a ticket for the now-cancelled show will receive refunds or exchanges, depending on the policies of the platform they used to purchase the tickets.
Macklemore’s Reasons
Benjamin Hammond Haggerty, popularly known by his stage name Macklemore, used the 10 slides of his Instagram post to let his fans know why he decided to cancel his show as well as bring light to the situation in Sudan. He has also tagged various Instagram accounts that are in support of Sudan.
He explains that over the past months, he had people “reach out” to him and shared resources with the request that he cancel his Dubai show scheduled in October of this year in “solidarity with the people of Sudan.” He goes on to state that he was asked to boycott doing business with the UAE for the role they have proved to be playing in the “ongoing genocide” and “humanitarian crisis” in Sudan. He added that he never wanted to make a decision “out of fear but a measured one from the heart.”
He uses his reach on the social media platform to describe the situation in Sudan as “catastrophic”. He educates users regarding the millions who have been displaced, facing famine, the increase in sexual violence, and the estimated “150,000 lives” that have been lost, including the lives of “thousands of children”. He added that he understands that external forces are also contributing to the crisis but he can’t ignore the fact that several journalists, advocates, officials, and organizers are “repeatedly highlight(ing)” the UAE’s role in “funding the RSF militia”.
Macklemore says, “I have to ask myself what is my intention as an artist” and explains that he understands the future consequences that his decision to cancel the show can bring but says “How am I different than the countries that put dollars and power over human life,” in the scenario that he did proceed with the show.
He strongly stated that he would not perform in the UAE until they stopped “arming and funding” the RSF. He mentioned that he was excited for the show and hated that he let his fans down but used this post to educate social media users about the situation in Sudan as well as briefly mention the ongoing genocide in Palestine.
He makes it clear that he does not have any judgment towards other artists who choose to perform in the UAE but he also puts forward the question of “If we used our platforms to mobilize collective liberation, what could we accomplish”, to his peers.
The 41-year-old rapper who had released a protest anthem standing with the Pro-Palestinian activists ends his announcement with “As always, my message is love.”
The Sudanese Civil War
Since mid-April 2023, Sudan has been at the onset of violence and tensions between the nation’s military and the paramilitary, Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The violence started in the capital city of Khartoum and ended up spreading to various other regions including that of Darfur.
According to the estimates provided, it can be concluded that more than 18,000 people have lost their lives. Reports also suggest that many have been subjected to sexual violence and displacement, and thousands are on the brink of famine.
