Macklemore turned being dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour into a sold-out London benefit for Gaza
Macklemore ended his Free Palestine Tour in London, closing a run that followed his removal from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour.
Macklemore closed his Free Palestine Tour in London on Friday, ending a run that grew out of his removal from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour. The final stop packed more than 12,500 people into OVO Arena Wembley and capped a series of benefit shows in Dublin, Paris and London.
From festival fallout to a packed final night
Onstage in London, the US rapper told the crowd he did not see speaking up as an act of bravery, but as something human. He said remaining quiet had felt more uncomfortable to him than saying something publicly, framing the night around Gaza and what he called equality for all people.
The concert arrived weeks after he was taken off Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour over pro-Palestine comments he made onstage. Sheeran later said the decision was made by a promoter, adding that venues due to host the shows had threatened to pull out if Macklemore stayed on the bill.
Macklemore used the London event to thank people who showed up in person, telling them their presence mattered. He also referenced the group of 50 members of the British House of Lords who had urged the UK government to block his concert, but said the bigger issue for him was equal human worth.
Who appeared, and where the money is going
The London lineup included Aja Monet, Cure for Paranoia, Dana Saleh, Nemahsis, Lucas Jones, Paloma Faith, Roze, Shadia Mansour and Vic Mensa. Greta Thunberg appeared as a guest speaker, while Mark Ruffalo, Susan Sarandon, Javier Bardem, Cynthia Nixon, Melissa Barrera and Julian Casablancas joined remotely.
Across the tour, all proceeds from the Dublin, Paris and London dates are set to go to groups supporting Palestinian communities. Macklemore’s team said the money will help fund humanitarian relief, medical care, education, advocacy, policy change and community initiatives.
The Dublin show also featured Hozier, Kneecap and Boega, the backing band that had been due to play on Sheeran’s tour before withdrawing in support of Macklemore.
Sheeran addressed the controversy onstage in Philadelphia last month, saying he did not want to let fans down and had been pulled into a major argument about free speech and a deeply complex political issue. He said his shows were meant to remain a safe space for everyone, that the October 7 attack in Israel and at the Nova Music Festival was horrific, and that the situation in Gaza was catastrophic, unjustifiable and disproportionate. He also said he was worried by the idea of venues approving performance content in advance.
