Macklemore opened his Free Palestine Tour at Dublin’s 3Arena on Monday (26 October), the latest chapter in a row that began six weeks ago on Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour.
How we got here
The rapper was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s 2026 Loop Tour after playing just two dates (4 and 5 September) for saying “Free Palestine” on the MetLife stadium stage. Soon after, other opening acts including producer and singer-songwriters Finneas and Aaron Rowe, pop artist Lukas Graham, and Sheeran’s backing band Beoga all quit the tour in solidarity.
Ten days after being removed from Sheeran’s tour, Macklemore announced a Free Palestine Tour run in three cities on Instagram on September 24. He also announced that his $1 million salary from Loop and all proceeds from the three-show run will go towards pro-Palestinian organisations.
The tickets went on general sale on 30 September, and all three shows “sold out immediately.”
Dublin opens the run
At the 3Arena, Macklemore was joined by Irish artists: singer-songwriter Hozier, rap trio Kneecap and folk band Beoga, plus Palestinian singer Lina Makoul, DJ Habibeats and American Hip-Hop duo Dead Prez. Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham kicked off the evening, while video messages of support from The Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas and actors Ilana Glazer and Mark Ruffalo were screened at the venue.
“Freedom that requires another person’s oppression is not freedom at all,” Macklemore said, addressing the Dublin crowd. He added, “Those [two words] have become more controversial than the suffering that made them necessary.”
What’s next
- 29 October: Accor Arena, Paris (sold out)
- 30 October: OVO Arena Wembley, London (sold out)
