The key facts

  • The concert at OVO Arena Wembley took place on October 31 and concluded the tour through Dublin, Paris and London
  • Macklemore took the stage in a 'Free Marwan' T-shirt in support of Marwan Barghouti, who has been imprisoned in Israel since 2002
  • All proceeds are going to Medical Aid for Palestinians, UNRWA USA, Gaza Soup Kitchen and HEAL Palestine

A sold-out crowd at Wembley and the end of the tour

American rapper Macklemore performed on Friday before a sold-out crowd at London's OVO Arena Wembley, closing his European 'Free Palestine' tour, which also included stops in Dublin and Paris. Anadolu reports this. Alongside the rapper himself, the stage featured British singer Paloma Faith, hip-hop group Cure for Paranoia, the duo Dead Prez, as well as Palestinian and Arab artists Nemahsis, Lina Makoul, Shadia Mansour and Dana Salah; Aja Monet and DJ Habibeat also took part.

Political messages and symbolism

The concert combined music with speeches and messages of solidarity: Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, Holocaust survivor Stephen Kapos and Palestinian activist Arab Barghouthi spoke, and a short film by Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda was screened. Macklemore took the stage wearing a 'Free Marwan' T-shirt — in support of Marwan Barghouti, an influential Palestinian political leader who has been imprisoned in Israel since 2002; his son Arab Barghouthi joined the rapper on stage and drew a parallel with the anti-apartheid solidarity movement in South Africa, saying that 'Palestine is moving toward its South African moment.' The crowd greeted the artist with chants of 'Free Palestine,' and he performed the protest song 'Hind's Hall,' explaining that 'staying silent had become more uncomfortable for him than saying something,' and that 'the children of Gaza are our children.'

Context and audience reaction

According to Anadolu, the concert was organized by the rapper himself after, in September, he was removed from the lineup of a planned Ed Sheeran tour in the United States — reportedly due to venues' objections to his pro-Palestinian statements. All proceeds from the evening are going to humanitarian organizations, including Medical Aid for Palestinians, UNRWA USA, Gaza Soup Kitchen and HEAL Palestine. Audience members interviewed by the agency emphasized the importance of public support for Palestine: one attendee, Sheila, noted that Macklemore 'did not back down in the face of attempts to silence him,' adding that, in her view, the reaction to the Ed Sheeran tour situation 'shows that sentiment on this issue is changing.'