Peers urge UK to cancel Macklemore's travel authorisation before Wembley gig

Fifty peers have written to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood urging her to revoke US rapper Macklemore's electronic travel authorisation (ETA) before he performs at Wembley next week. The letter asks for the decision to be made ahead of the pro-Palestinian concert on 30 October. The source does not report any response or decision from the Home Secretary.

Key facts

• Who signed: a group of 50 members of the House of Lords
• Who they wrote to: Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood
• What they want: revocation of Macklemore's electronic travel authorisation (ETA)
• Deadline they set: before the Wembley concert on 30 October
• The artist: Macklemore, whose real name is Benjamin Haggerty
• Money at issue: some proceeds from the performance are due to go to the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM)

Why are the peers calling for a ban?

The signatories argue that allowing the American rapper to enter the country is "not conducive to the public good" because part of the takings from the concert will go to the Palestinian Youth Movement. The source describes PYM as an anti-Israel group that attempted to justify Hamas's 7 October attacks, and says the group's spokesman previously described the taking of hostages during the 2023 terror attack as legitimate.

According to the source, proceeds from Macklemore's new tour are to be donated to the Palestinian Youth Movement, with the Wembley concert part of that tour.

Who is affected?

The request concerns one traveller: Macklemore, an American citizen identified in the source by his real name, Benjamin Haggerty. The letter targets his electronic travel authorisation (ETA), the document the source says he would use to enter the United Kingdom. No changes to wider UK entry rules or to other travellers are mentioned.

What is happening next?

The concert at Wembley is scheduled for 30 October, and the peers have asked for the authorisation to be revoked before that date. The source states that the tour was announced after Macklemore was dropped as a special guest on Ed Sheeran's US tour. It reports no timetable for a decision and no statement from the Home Secretary.

What this means for travellers

The case is a request rather than a change to UK entry rules: no ban has been announced, and the source describes only the letter to the Home Secretary. Anyone holding or planning to apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) is not affected by the appeal as reported. Ticket-holders or others planning to travel to the Wembley event on 30 October may wish to follow whether the Home Secretary responds before the concert.