Macklemore Opens Free Palestine Tour in Dublin With Guest Performers

Macklemore opened his Free Palestine Tour on Monday, 26 October, at Dublin's 3Arena, with a bill that brought several guest performers on stage. Rolling Stone reported that Irish singer-songwriter Hozier and rap trio Kneecap both made special guest appearances.

Folk band Beoga also joined the show. The group had earlier dropped out of Ed Sheeran's tour in solidarity with Macklemore, who was an opening act on those dates. Beoga's exit was one of the more visible responses to the events that led to the new tour.

The early part of the evening belonged to a separate set of performers. Palestinian singer-songwriter Lina Makoul opened the proceedings, followed by M-1 of Dead Prez and DJ Habibeats, a Palestinian-American DJ and producer. Irish actor Liam Cunningham gave opening remarks.

The tour grew out of a dispute on Sheeran's Loop Tour. Macklemore was removed as an opener after making onstage comments in support of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank and calling for a free Palestine. He announced the Free Palestine Tour in September, saying it had been set up after he was dropped from Sheeran's shows. Reuters reported on 24 September that U.S. dates would be announced later.

Some public figures spoke up for him at the time. CMAT expressed solidarity with Macklemore after his removal, and an Irish TD, a member of Ireland's parliament, backed him as well.

The tour has three shows, in Dublin, Paris and London. Macklemore said on 1 October that the tour was sold out. Rolling Stone describes the tour as a charity run, and Macklemore dedicated the Dublin date to “love and liberation,” according to Variety.

The Dublin show was the first date on the calendar. The European dates and any American shows will be the next tests for a tour that started with a dispute and ended the first night with a full room and a long list of guests.