Macklemore defiant at Free Palestine Tour kickoff in Dublin

Macklemore used the opening night of his Free Palestine Tour in Dublin to double down on his pro-Palestinian activism, weeks after his remarks led to his removal as an opening act for Ed Sheeran. The rapper told the crowd he was proud to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and would keep fighting for collective liberation, according to Reuters.

Referring to the fallout from his opening set, Macklemore said that two words were all it took to set off the backlash. « Those two words are so threatening to some people that we'd rather silence those two words than confront what they actually mean », he said. « Somehow those words have become more controversial than the suffering that made them necessary », he added.

The speech drew mixed reactions on social media. Some users applauded his outspoken stance, calling him brave and praising the courage of artists who speak on the issue. Others questioned his motives and accused him of being out of touch, suggesting he should focus on problems closer to home. One user wrote on X that attending the show meant being lectured by someone who was literally out of touch, while another argued he should care as much about Americans on Skid Row in Los Angeles.

The controversy traces back to early September, when Macklemore, whose full name is Ben Haggerty, was removed from Sheeran's Loop Tour after his « Free Palestine » messaging during his opening set at MetLife Stadium. Sheeran later said the rapper's departure was ultimately a decision made by the concert promoter and venues, not by him. Sheeran also said he was « appalled » by the conflict between Israel and Palestine and described the suffering on both sides as a human tragedy, in a lengthy statement shared on Instagram after Macklemore accused Sheeran and tour organizers of sidelining him over his remarks.

Macklemore claimed that Sheeran told him Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, had rallied other stadium owners to oppose allowing the rapper to perform. The claim has circulated widely in the coverage of the dispute.

Producer Jack Antonoff, who leads the band Bleachers and has worked on some of Taylor Swift's biggest hits, also weighed in. In an interview with The Guardian, he said Sheeran missed a « massive » opportunity to take a stand against billionaire interests, arguing the singer should have canceled the tour and staged free concerts outside venues instead of yielding to pressure. Antonoff's comments came more than a month after the removal.

Macklemore's Free Palestine Tour will continue in Paris and London. U.S. dates and locations are expected to be announced at a later date.

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Delaney Sawyer

Society Reporter

Delaney Sawyer covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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