Macklemore removed from Las Vegas Festival lineup after viral video

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The inaugural Neon City Festival lost a headliner just days after the lineup was first announced.

Macklemore was one of the headliners first announced on Thursday. In a brief statement on Tuesday morning, festival organizers explained that the Grammy-winning rapper would no longer perform at the Neon City Festival “due to unforeseen circumstances.”

News of the rapper's removal from the Neon City lineup comes after his performance at the Palestine Will Love Forever festival in Seattle over the weekend. A video of Macklemore screaming “Yeah, f— America!” during his performance has since been viewed over a million times on social media.

Macklemore has made no secret of his stance on the ongoing war in Gaza. In May, he made headlines when he released “Hind's Hall,” a rap single in which he praised college students for protesting against the war and denounced the U.S. role in the conflict.

In March, he was also photographed during the 96th Academy Awards in Los Angeles alongside protesters calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

As Channel 13 previously reported, the free festival in downtown Las Vegas is scheduled to take place at the same time as the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix. The remaining headliners include Seven Lions, Alison Wonderland, Russell Dickerson and Neon Trees.

According to the organizers, Macklemore can be expected to be replaced by another act starting Tuesday.

“We are excited to announce new artists joining the NCF lineup shortly,” they said.