The key facts
- Macklemore opened the Free Palestine tour in Dublin before an audience of up to 13,000; tickets sold out
- Macklemore opened the Free Palestine tour in Dublin before an audience of up to 13,000 people; tickets sold out
- Tour proceeds, he said, will go to organisations supporting Palestinians
- Sheeran stressed that the rapper's removal from his tour was the decision of promoter Messina Touring Group, and admitted 'mistakes' in resolving the conflict
- Sheeran stressed that the rapper's removal from his tour was a decision by the promoter Messina Touring Group, and admitted 'mistakes' in resolving the conflict
Tour launch in Dublin
American rapper Macklemore (real name Benjamin Haggerty) gave the first concert of his Free Palestine tour at Dublin's 3Arena before an audience of up to 13,000 people, BBC News reports. Tickets were sold out, and hours before the doors opened queues formed outside the arena: some attendees wore Palestinian T-shirts and keffiyehs and carried Palestinian and Irish flags, while vendors outside sold related merchandise, including items with the logo of the Irish rap group Kneecap. Before the show, the artist promised 'many amazing surprise guests'. Concerts in Paris on Thursday and in London on Friday are scheduled next. Macklemore said the proceeds from the tour would go to organisations supporting Palestinians.
How the conflict with Sheeran's tour unfolded
The tour was prompted by Macklemore's removal from Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour. The conflict began in early September, when the rapper, opening Sheeran's concert in New Jersey, said from the stage that one of the main reasons for his participation in the tour was the chance to say at stadiums 'two very dear words: Free Palestine', after which he performed a song dedicated to pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University. He later said 'Free Palestine' at two more concerts and, in his statements, described the death toll of Israel's military operation in Gaza as genocide — a claim Israel rejects. Jewish organisations criticised the artist; stadium owner billionaire Robert Kraft accused him of stoking hatred and antisemitic rhetoric around Israel and Gaza. On 14 September Macklemore was dropped from the tour; he, in turn, accused stadium owners of conspiring to push him out.
Sheeran's position and public reaction
Sheeran stressed that the decision to remove the rapper was made by the promoter, Messina Touring Group, and not by him. After Macklemore's departure, all the supporting artists left the tour in solidarity, and fans expressed their displeasure. At a concert in Philadelphia, Sheeran admitted he had made 'mistakes' in handling the situation, apologised to fans and outlined his position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, calling it a 'humanitarian issue', the 7 October 2023 attacks 'horrific', and the situation in Gaza 'unjustifiable and disproportionate'. In Dublin, spectators interviewed by the BBC supported the rapper's performances: Nicola McCullough, who came from Belfast, noted that 'if you have a platform, you need to speak', while Gillian Duffy from Cork called the concert 'the hottest ticket in town' and predicted that the chant 'Free, free Palestine' would ring out across the city.
Context of the conflict
According to the BBC, Israel's military campaign in Gaza began in response to Hamas's unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. During the campaign, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry (figures the UN considers reliable), more than 70,000 people have been killed. Israel says its forces are carrying out self-defence operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank in accordance with international law.
Image source, Getty Images Macklemore has pledged to donate the proceeds from his tour to organisations supporting Palestinians
Nicola McCollough and her daughter Lily Rose Murphy say they are big fans of Macklemore
Gillian Duffy and her son Joshua were among those in the queue for the gig
