Macklemore opens sold-out Dublin benefit after Sheeran tour split

Crowds inside Dublin’s 3Arena faced a new reality on Monday night: Macklemore was back on a stage, and he brought a specific cause with him. The rapper launched his Free Palestine Tour, a series of three sold-out shows organized as a benefit concert. The event took place weeks after Macklemore was removed from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour, a decision that sparked a public dispute between the artist, his promoter, and the venues involved.

The lineup for the Dublin show was kept secret until the doors opened. It included Irish singer Hozier, the Irish hip-hop group Kneecap, Palestinian-American DJ Habibeats, and Palestinian singer-songwriter Lina Makoul. Rapper M1 of the group Dead Prez also performed. Notably, Boega, the backing band that left Sheeran’s tour in solidarity with Macklemore, joined the bill. This marked the first of three concerts; the tour continues at Paris’ Accor Arena on October 29 and concludes at London’s OVO Arena Wembley on October 30.

Special guest speakers added a layer of advocacy to the musical performance. Irish actor Liam Cunningham, psychotherapist Nadia Greenspan, and organizer Samir Eskanda addressed the audience. Cunningham used the moment to frame the night’s entertainment as an act of remembrance. “Enjoying tonight does not mean forgetting about the suffering in Gaza,” he said. “It means celebrating the humanity and life that Palestinians have fought so hard to protect.”

Organizers directed all proceeds from the concert series to organizations supporting the Palestinian movement. A press release stated that these groups provide medical supplies, food, and humanitarian assistance, while also advancing education and advocacy. The release emphasized that the concert series centers on Palestinian families, children, healthcare workers, and students whose lives are impacted by the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The context of the tour’s launch remains tied to the fallout from Sheeran’s U.S. tour. Last month, Messina Touring Group, Sheeran’s promoter, announced that Macklemore would not perform on remaining support dates. The group stated that venues had notified them they would not allow a concert with Macklemore on the lineup, which would have resulted in the tour’s cancellation. Sheeran later addressed the situation onstage, stating he did not want to disappoint fans but was worried about venues pre-approving content.

In an Instagram post announcing the new tour, Macklemore described a shift in expectations for artists. He wrote that 2026 marks a time when being apolitical during a genocide no longer works. He noted that people are now asking artists to use their stages for more than entertainment and to push back when the call for a Free Palestine is met with attempts to silence it.