Macklemore Launches 'Free Palestine Tour' After Ed Sheeran Controversy

Macklemore kicked off his “Free Palestine Tour” in Dublin, Ireland, on Monday, performing the first of three planned shows. The concert at Dublin’s 3Arena featured special guests including Irish singer-songwriter Hozier, rap trio Kneecap, folk band Beoga, and Palestinian singer Lina Makoul. Actor Mark Ruffalo also made a surprise video appearance, encouraging the nearly 13,000 attendees to "keep fighting for a free Palestine and humanity all over the world."

Before his set, Macklemore, 43, reflected on his removal from Ed Sheeran's "Mathematics Tour" last month. He stated that "two words" – "Free Palestine" – were all it took to be dropped, describing the phrase as "rooted in love and liberation" and "not against anybody" or "a call for hatred."

"The same thing that I want for all of us, freedom, dignity, the right to exist without fear," Macklemore told the crowd. "Being able to raise our children in the homes that we grew up in, not having to prove our humanity to the rest of the world."

Macklemore suggested that the slogan is "so threatening to some people" that they would "rather silence those two words than confront what they actually mean." He explained that his goal for the tour is to provide a space for people to "resist, to come together as a collective, to share our grief, to share our stories, to move from the heart, to mobilize people with the frequency of love."

He also noted the rapid transition from his brief tour dates at MetLife Stadium to organizing the current three-show tour.

Macklemore had previously reiterated his stance at a concert at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre, stating, "It is not political. It is human to have a heart, to watch others suffering and to say, ‘Not anymore!’ So I say, free Palestine. I say, free Palestine!"

The "Free Palestine Tour" is scheduled to continue with performances in Paris on Thursday and London on Friday. Macklemore confirmed that all proceeds from the tour will benefit organizations supporting the Palestinian people.

Macklemore's removal from Sheeran's tour followed his onstage remarks about Palestine and Gaza during shows at MetLife Stadium on September 5 and 6. Subsequently, other openers on Sheeran's tour, including Finneas, Lukas Graham, and Aaron Rowe, withdrew in solidarity with Macklemore.

Macklemore alleged that Ed Sheeran was pressured by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to remove him due to his political statements. Sheeran, however, stated in an Instagram post that the decision was made by the promoter, not himself, as his contract was with the promoter. He also stated he attempted to "build a bridge" between the parties involved but that the issue stemmed from "the way Macklemore conveyed part of his message during his performance."

Following the controversy, Sheeran reportedly lost nearly 500,000 Instagram followers and claimed to have lost family and close friends.