Macklemore‘s Free Palestine Tour is now underway, more than a month after the rapper was removed as an opener on Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour making onstage comments in support of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and called for a “free Palestine.” The charity run kicked off in Dublin on Monday, Oct. 26, with special guest appearances from Hozier, Kneecap, and Boega, the backing band that dropped out of Sheeran’s tour in solidarity with Macklemore.
“The times are changing, we’ve never been prouder to be from the country we’re from,” Beoga said onstage. During his set, Hozier celebrated Ireland’s history of “global solidarity when it comes to emancipation and justice. A wonderful history of anti-racism, also.”
The lineup for the event remained under wraps in the lead-up to the show. Palestinian singer-songwriter Lina Makoul performed early in the night, as well as the rapper M-1 of Dead Prez and DJ Habibeats, a Palestinian-American DJ and producer.
In addition to these artists, Macklemore arranged for guest speakers to address the crowd. The Irish actor Liam Cunningham delivered opening remarks at the start of the night. “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.” Nadia Greenspan, a psychotherapist and activist, also appeared on the lineup alongside activist and organizer Samir Eskanda.
“I’ve spent the last week reaching out to artists who have shown up and used their stages to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people, regardless of the consequences,” Macklemore said while announcing the tour in September. “Artists who understand that our platforms mean very little if we’re only willing to use them when it’s safe.”
Beoga appeared among the wave of artists who stood in solidarity with Macklemore. Sheeran, meanwhile, said the decision to pull Macklemore from the Loop Tour came down to the venue owners and promoters, including the Kraft Group’s Robert Kraft. “We have made the decision to depart as Ed Sheeran’s band on the remaining US Loop tour, following the silencing of Macklemore by zionist lobbies,” the band said at the time. “We believe in dialogue as a means of progressing the plight of the Palestinian people.” Editor’s picks The 250 Greatest Albums of the 21st Century So Far The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century
Kneecap voiced their support too, saying, “They can never silence the truth.” The Belfast hip-hop trio have experienced backlash for speaking out in favor of Palestinians. The livestream of their performance at Coachella last year, which included projections calling out Israel, was cut short without notice or explanation.
