Dubai: Macklemore has called for a "free Palestine" at his first concert since he was removed from Ed Sheeran's North American tour.
The Seattle rapper played a 17-song set at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado on Thursday, October 22. It was his first time on stage since he was dropped as a support act from Sheeran's Loop Tour in September.
What he said at Red Rocks
"Being a human being in this moment is not complicated," Macklemore told the audience. "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!" he continued. "I say, free Sudan. I say, free Congo, Lebanon, to Haiti, to all the people that are affected by ICE in America, who are afraid to leave their houses."
He ended the speech with: "The message will always be love."
NME reported that the crowd applauded and cheered after the speech. According to The Mary Sue, his mention of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) drew one of the loudest reactions.
How he came off Sheeran's tour
Macklemore was opening for Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4 when he said "Free Palestine" on stage, before performing his 2024 song Hind's Hall. He repeated the call the following night.
On September 14, the tour's US promoter, Messina Touring Group, said Macklemore would not perform on the remaining support dates. It said several venues had refused to go ahead with him on the line-up.
Macklemore said that Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, whose company owns Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, had given Sheeran an ultimatum. Kraft confirmed he had decided not to allow Macklemore to perform at Gillette Stadium, citing Macklemore's "recent actions" and "a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery". Kraft said the decision was not about denying the suffering of Palestinians or anyone's right to advocate for them. He added that he would welcome the chance to sit down with Macklemore.
"I didn't need 10 shows from Ed. I needed 2," Macklemore wrote on Instagram. "Two chances to stand in front of 90,000 people and say the words that somehow became too dangerous to say."
What Sheeran said
Sheeran said the decision was not his. "Macklemore's contract for the tour was with the promoter, not me," he wrote on Instagram. He added that venues had said they would pull the shows if Macklemore stayed on the bill.
He said he was "appalled by the conflict between Israel and Palestine", and that he respected "Macklemore's strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes".
The following day, the tour's other support acts, Finneas, Lukas Graham and Aaron Rowe, withdrew in solidarity with Macklemore, as did Sheeran's backing band Beoga. At his Philadelphia show on September 19, Sheeran told the crowd he was "so, so sorry" and that he had made mistakes.
Sheeran's two Gillette Stadium shows, scheduled for September 25 and 26, were later cancelled because of a storm.
A $1 million pledge and a new tour
Macklemore pledged $1 million (Dh3.67 million), his net earnings from the Loop Tour, to six Palestinian aid organisations, and challenged Kraft to match it. Kraft later announced a $2 million (Dh7.3 million) donation, without naming the recipients.
On September 24, Macklemore announced his own Free Palestine Tour, with proceeds going to Palestinian aid groups. It opens at Dublin's 3Arena on Monday, October 26, followed by Paris on October 29 and London's Wembley Arena on October 30. According to Happy Mag, all three dates have sold out.
Macklemore said he has "reached out to artists who have shown up and used their stages to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people". He has said US dates will follow, though none have been confirmed.