Macklemore returned to the stage Thursday night (Oct. 22) with a message that made clear he has no plans to retreat from the stance that preceded his removal from Ed Sheeran’s tour.
During a 17-song set at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre, the rapper paused the show to address the crowd, calling for a “free Palestine” while also speaking about Sudan, Congo, Lebanon, Haiti, and people affected by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“Being a human being in this moment is not complicated,” Macklemore said, according to footage from the concert. “It is not political. It is human to have a heart, to watch others suffering and to say, ‘Not anymore!’ So I say, free Palestine. I say, free Palestine!”
He continued: “I say, free Sudan. I say, free Congo, Lebanon, to Haiti, to all the people that are affected by ICE in America, who are afraid to leave their houses.”
“The message will always be love,” he concluded.
The Red Rocks appearance marked Macklemore’s first concert since a turbulent run opening for Sheeran’s Loop Tour in September.
During two shows at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Macklemore called for Palestinian freedom from the stage and performed his 2024 protest song “Hind’s Hall” alongside imagery from Gaza. The performances prompted criticism from groups including the Israeli-American Council and ultimately led to his removal from the remaining dates.
Tour promoter Messina Touring Group said at the time that venues on the upcoming U.S. run had informed organizers they would not host the concerts with Macklemore on the lineup. Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium, later confirmed that he had barred Macklemore from appearing at the Massachusetts venue, citing rhetoric and imagery that Kraft said had been offensive and hurtful to members of the Jewish community.
Sheeran subsequently stressed that the decision to remove Macklemore was not his, writing that it had been made by the promoter and venues. “I respect Macklemore’s strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes,” Sheeran said at the time, while adding that his own approach was to “maintain diplomacy and keep conversations open, not closed.”
Macklemore responded by pledging the $1 million he earned from his stint on the tour to organizations providing aid to Palestinians. Kraft later announced a $2 million contribution to humanitarian aid in the region.
The fallout also reshaped the remainder of Sheeran’s tour, with opening acts Finneas, Aaron Rowe and Lukas Graham, as well as Sheeran’s backing band Beoga, subsequently withdrawing from scheduled appearances.
Macklemore has since organized his own Free Palestine Tour, with sold-out shows scheduled for Dublin on Oct. 26, Paris on Oct. 29 and London on Oct. 30. Proceeds from the concerts are set to benefit a number of organizations supporting Palestinians, including Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
The controversy also drove a noticeable spike in Macklemore’s streaming numbers.
According to early data from Luminate reported by Billboard, official on-demand U.S. streams of Macklemore’s solo catalog climbed from 282,000 on Sept. 13 to 767,000 two days later — a 172% increase. His total catalog, including his work with Ryan Lewis, nearly doubled over the same period, rising 97% from just over 1 million streams to nearly 2 million.
The biggest jump came for “Hind’s Hall.” The protest track surged from just over 5,000 U.S. streams on Sept. 13 to nearly 87,000 on Sept. 15, its biggest daily total in more than two years.
Macklemore’s solo Billboard Hot 100 history includes “Good Old Days,” featuring Kesha, “Glorious,” featuring Skylar Grey, and “Summer Days,” with Martin Garrix and Patrick Stump.