The Dublin, Paris and London concerts will raise funds for organizations supporting the Palestinian people.

On Thursday, U.S. rapper Macklemore announced he will embark on a tour in Dublin, Paris and London to raise funds for Palestine after being excluded from Ed Sheeran’s tour because of his comments against the genocide in Gaza perpetrated by Israel.

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“Something has changed over the last three years. There has been a collective awakening around the liberation of Palestine, the power of billionaires who try to censor this call and what we expect from artists at this moment,” the singer wrote on social media.

The “Free Palestine Tour” will take place Oct. 26 in Dublin, Oct. 29 in Paris and Oct. 30 in London. Macklemore will be joined at the concerts by other musicians whom he has not identified.

“What happened to me is bigger than one artist or one stage. When the billionaire class can decide which voices are allowed on stage and which ones are too dangerous to hear, everyone should be paying attention. So we’re going on tour. All proceeds will benefit organizations supporting the Palestinian people and movement,” Macklemore posted on X.

The money raised will go to organizations including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Jewish Voice for Peace, Medical Aid for Palestinians and Gaza Soup Kitchen.

“I spent the last week reaching out to artists who have stepped forward and used their stages to show solidarity with the Palestinian people regardless of the consequences,” the rapper said.

“We are in 2026. Being apolitical during a genocide is no longer an option. People are asking artists to use the stage for something more than entertainment. To stand up when the call for a ‘Free Palestine’ faces attempts to silence it,” he said.

Macklemore Spoke Out for Palestine at MetLife Stadium

On Sept. 4, while opening for Ed Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Macklemore stated that saying “Free Palestine” was a main reason he wanted to do the tour. The U.S. rapper explicitly criticized the actions of the Israeli occupation army and labeled the rising death toll a “genocide.”

Addressing his fans from the stage, he clarified that his criticism of the genocide and the apartheid suffered by the Palestinians was directed at the Israeli government. He emphasized that his words did not represent a rejection of the Jewish people, whom he described as his “Jewish brothers and sisters.”

The rapper performed “Hind’s Hall” while images of devastation in Gaza and pro-Palestinian college encampments were displayed on stadium screens, as recalled by the BBC.

Later some artists who were scheduled to accompany Sheeran for the remainder of the tour withdrew from the tour following the controversy. Irish artists Aaron Rowe and Beoga, Danish band Lukas Graham, and producer and musician Finneas announced they were leaving the project.

“Macklemore’s ‘Hind’s Hall’ SURGES on iTunes Charts. The anthem has climbed to #3 on the U.S. iTunes songs chart following Macklemore’s removal from Ed Sheeran’s tour. His 2012 hit ‘Thrift Shop’ has also jumped back into the Top 10 at #6. The backlash isn’t SILENCING Macklemore. It’s sending people straight to his music,” Ryan Rozbiani commented on X.

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: EFE – BBC

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