Macklemore Speaks Out on Palestine and ICE at First Show Since Exiting Ed Sheeran Tour

Macklemore used his first concert since his removal from Ed Sheeran’s tour to repeat the stance that preceded it. The rapper played a 17-song set Thursday night (Oct. 22) at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado.

He paused the show to address the crowd, calling for a “free Palestine” and also speaking about Sudan, Congo, Lebanon, Haiti and people affected by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“Being a human being in this moment is not complicated,” Macklemore said, according to footage from the concert. “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.”

“The message will always be love,” he concluded.

The Red Rocks show was Macklemore’s first concert since his turbulent run as an opening act on Sheeran’s Loop Tour in September.

During two shows at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Macklemore called for Palestinian freedom from the stage and performed his 2024 protest song “Hind’s Hall” alongside imagery from Gaza. Groups including the Israeli-American Council criticized the performances, and he was ultimately removed from the remaining dates.

Tour promoter Messina Touring Group said at the time that venues on the upcoming U.S. run had told organizers they would not host the concerts with Macklemore on the lineup. Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium, later confirmed that he had barred Macklemore from appearing at the Massachusetts venue. Kraft cited rhetoric and imagery that he said had been offensive and hurtful to members of the Jewish community.

Sheeran subsequently stressed that the decision to remove Macklemore was not his and wrote that the promoter and venues made it. “I respect Macklemore’s strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes,” Sheeran said at the time. He added that his own approach was to “maintain diplomacy and keep conversations open, not closed.”

Macklemore responded by pledging the $1 million he earned from his stint on the tour to organizations providing aid to Palestinians. Kraft later announced a $2 million contribution to humanitarian aid in the region.

The fallout also changed the rest of Sheeran’s tour. Opening acts Finneas, Aaron Rowe and Lukas Graham, along with Sheeran’s backing band Beoga, subsequently withdrew from scheduled appearances.

Macklemore has since organized his own Free Palestine Tour, with sold-out shows scheduled for Dublin on Oct. 26, Paris on Oct. 29 and London on Oct. 30. Proceeds from the concerts are set to benefit organizations supporting Palestinians, including Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.

The controversy also coincided with a spike in Macklemore’s streaming numbers. According to early data from Luminate reported by Billboard, official on-demand U.S. streams of his solo catalog rose from 282,000 on Sept. 13 to 767,000 two days later, a 172% increase. His total catalog, including his work with Ryan Lewis, rose 97% over the same period, from just over 1 million streams to nearly 2 million.

The biggest jump came for “Hind’s Hall.” The song went from just over 5,000 U.S. streams on Sept. 13 to nearly 87,000 on Sept. 15, its biggest daily total in more than two years.

Macklemore’s solo Billboard Hot 100 history includes “Good Old Days,” featuring Kesha, “Glorious,” featuring Skylar Grey, and “Summer Days,” with Martin Garrix and Patrick Stump.

Source: Billboard