Macklemore announces Free Palestine benefit concerts in London, Dublin and Paris
“So, as you all know, my schedule freed up a bit”
Macklemore has announced a trio of Palestine benefit concerts in London, Dublin and Paris, with US dates also set to be announced soon.
The shows follow Macklemore’s removal as a support act on Ed Sheeran’s US tour after he spoke in support of the Palestinian cause during one of his opening slots. The US rapper said venue owners had pressured Sheeran and the tour’s promoter to remove him, claiming they would not allow events to go ahead at their venues if he remained on the tour.
Macklemore will bring his Palestine benefit shows to Dublin’s 3Arena on 25th October, Paris’ Accor Arena on 29th October and London’s OVO Arena Wembley on 30th October. Guest artists will join him each night, with full details set to be announced in the coming weeks.
Presale tickets for the shows will go live at 10AM local time on Monday, 28th September, with the general sale following at the same time on Wednesday, 30th September.
Proceeds from the shows will be split between 12 charities working to support people in Palestine amid the ongoing conflict. These charities are Anera , Gaza Soup Kitchen , Glia , HEAL Palestine , Institute for Middle East Understanding , Jewish Voice for Peace , Medical Aid for Palestinians , Middle East Children's Alliance , Palestine Children's Relief Fund , Palestinian Youth Movement , Taawon , and UNRWA USA .
In a new statement announcing the upcoming shows, Macklemore said: “As you all know, my schedule freed up a bit. 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. Artists who understand that our platforms mean very little if we're only willing to use them when it’s safe.”
He continued: “Because of how quickly all of this has come together, a lot of the conversations, schedules and details are still being worked out. But this is a moment of momentum, and there is work to be done. So we're going on tour.”
Speaking more widely about why he's doing the shows, Macklemore said: “If these last couple of weeks have shown us anything, it's that something has shifted over the last three years. There has been a collective awakening around Palestinian liberation, the power of billionaires that try to censor that call, and what we expect from artists right now.
“It’s 2026. Being apolitical during a genocide doesn’t work anymore. People are asking artists to show up, educate themselves and be in community. To use the stage for more than entertainment. To push back when the call for a Free Palestine is met with attempts to silence it.
“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.”
Last week, Massive Attack issued a statement backing Macklemore . Speaking against Ed Sheeran's apolitical stance, the group said: ‘Entertainment can never be bigger than genocide’.
Earlier this month, Macklemore revealed that he will donate his full salary from the Ed Sheeran tour to Palestinian aid causes.
