Hypebot

Get away from the high-speed daily news of this industry for a moment this weekend, and sit down with some commentary you can really sink your teeth into, at your own pace. Here are 6 Feature articles for your Weekend Reading.

I don’t think anyone missed the Ed Sheeran Loop Tour controversy. In short: Macklemore, known for his pro-Palestine remarks, opens for Ed Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA, and says “Free Palestine” on stage. Several NFL stadium owners threaten to cancel shows at their venues if he stays on the tour. Macklemore is dropped from the tour. Ed Sheeran responds with a statement that lands badly. All remaining opening acts, and Ed Sheeran’s touring band, quit in solidarity.

​School of Rock 2026 AllStars Tour raised more than $16,000 for youth music education scholarships during a summer run of 34 shows across 33 U.S. cities, the organization announced September 29. The money will support the Play Without Limits Project, a nonprofit that helps students who otherwise couldn’t afford to participate access School of Rock programs. This year’s tour brought together 162 students from 99 School of Rock locations across eight countries.

“…But for the common wages…” – Dylan Thomas, 'In My Craft or Sullen Art' By Jonah Kraut I have embarked on recording projects for over 20 years now, home recordings, demos, side projects and full albums; projects where I was involved as a writer, performer, producer, sometimes all, sometimes none. Successful or not, and what success really means, is not important. Well, it is important, but I’m not going to get into that. Through these experiences I’ve learned what matters: the feeling.

Osagie Osarenkhoe is the Director of A&R and African Operations at ONErpm, where she built the company's African operation from a single Lagos office to a five-country, 38-person team. Before that, she discovered Wizkid and served as his first manager. Her insights with the Afrohouse moment come from Nigeria's rave scene, where Gen Z can't get into clubs, so they’re making their own moments in unique ways.

Here's a rundown of some of our favorite stories from this week on Hypebot. As always, thanks for reading and being part of our growing community of artists, managers, and industry pros.

Live music has become a powerful drivers of global tourism. According to a new study from Live Nation, live music fans are taking significantly more trips than the average traveler, building their vacations, weekend getaways, and budgets around where their favorite artists are playing. Pair this with Bandsintown data from late last year and a clear picture emerges: concert tourism is no longer just for stadium tours - it is reshaping travel at every level.

Welcome to the latest edition of Hypebot’s Bottom Line - our regular roundup of key takeaways for musicians and all industry pros from the stories we covered recently Severe weather forced Global Citizen, All Things Go, CBGB and other festival cancellations this weekend. As the number of music festivals and concerts postponing or cancelling altogether due to rapid, unpredictable severe weather events rises, live music executives and promoters are being forced to rethink their touring calendars.

Kelela is on the road with New Avatar Live, a full-band tour built around her July album new avatar. In a recent Los Angeles Times interview, she imagined a show with the energy of a rave that might tip into a mosh pit. That's not just confidence, that's innovation in form. This is an artist often introduced as an electronic R&B experimenter, feather-ruffler, and shape-shifter.

Ryan Castro has booked his first Madison Square Garden headline show for December 12. It is a big announcement for the Colombian artist. It is also the fourth entry in a neat and tidy New York-area concert history: In 2023, he played Palladium Times Square. In 2024, he and Blessd took their joint ¡Ay Bendito Ghetto! tour to Prudential Center. In 2025, Castro brought his own SENDÉ tour to the Barclays Center. Now comes the Garden. That is a venue ladder you can see from space.