Macklemore Opens Dublin Benefit Concert

Macklemore performed a sold-out benefit concert at Dublin's 3Arena on Monday night. The event launched his Free Palestine Tour, a series of three sold-out shows scheduled for October 29 in Paris and October 30 in London. The Dublin concert featured a lineup that included Hozier, Kneecap, DJ Habibeats, Lina Makoul, and M1 of Dead Prez. Boega, the backing band that left Ed Sheeran's tour in solidarity with Macklemore, also performed.

Organizers kept the lineup private until the night of the show. All proceeds from the three concerts will go to organizations supporting Palestine. A press release stated that these groups provide medical supplies, food, humanitarian assistance, education, community support, advocacy, and policy change efforts. The release emphasized that the concert series centers on the Palestinian families, children, healthcare workers, students, artists, and communities affected by the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Special guest speakers at the Dublin event included Irish actor Liam Cunningham, activist and psychotherapist Nadia Greenspan, and artist and organizer Samir Eskanda. Cunningham addressed the audience onstage, stating that enjoying the music does not mean forgetting the suffering in Gaza. He said it means celebrating the humanity and life that Palestinians have fought to protect.

The tour comes weeks after Macklemore was removed from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour. He had been removed after sharing pro-Palestine messages during his opening sets. Messina Touring Group, Sheeran's promoter, announced the change last month. They stated that venues for upcoming U.S. dates notified the promoter they would not allow a concert with Macklemore on the lineup. This decision threatened to cancel the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans. After discussions with stakeholders, Messina Touring Group confirmed Macklemore would not perform on the remaining support dates.

Ed Sheeran later addressed the controversy during his own concerts. He said he did not want to disappoint fans and had never wanted to be an activist musician. Sheeran noted that the situation placed him in the middle of a passionate argument about freedom of speech. He described his concerts as a safe space for everyone and said honoring his commitment to fans was essential to who he is. He stated he was deeply worried about venues pre-approving content for performance, adding that this should never happen in the free world.

In announcing the new tour on Instagram, Macklemore wrote that something had shifted over the last three years. He described a collective awakening around Palestinian liberation and the power of billionaires attempting to censor that call. He noted that being apolitical during a genocide does not work anymore in 2026. Macklemore said people are asking artists to show up, educate themselves, and use the stage for more than entertainment. He urged artists to push back when the call for a Free Palestine is met with attempts to silence it.

The next concert in the series is scheduled for October 29 at Paris' Accor Arena. The final show will take place at London's OVO Arena Wembley on October 30.