Macklemore Opens Benefit Tour in Dublin After Sheeran Split

Macklemore performed a sold-out benefit concert at Dublin’s 3Arena on Monday night, launching a three-city tour that began weeks after his removal from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour. The event centered on raising funds for groups supporting Palestine, with organizers withholding the full lineup until the performance began.

The bill included Irish singer Hozier, the Irish-language rap group Kneecap, Palestinian-American DJ Habibeats, singer-songwriter Lina Makoul, and M1 of Dead Prez. Boega, the backing band that left Sheeran’s tour in solidarity with Macklemore, also performed. The concert serves as the first leg of a series that will continue at Paris’ Accor Arena on October 29 and London’s OVO Arena Wembley on October 30.

Speakers at the Dublin show included Irish actor Liam Cunningham, activist Nadia Greenspan, and organizer Samir Eskanda. Cunningham addressed the crowd directly, noting that enjoying the music did not mean ignoring the situation in Gaza. "It means celebrating the humanity and life that Palestinians have fought so hard to protect," he said onstage.

All proceeds from the three shows will go to organizations providing medical supplies, food, and humanitarian aid, as well as those focused on education and advocacy. A press release for the tour described the recipients as representing a wide range of work for the Palestinian people, citing the ongoing impact of the conflict on families, healthcare workers, and students.

The tour follows a dispute that ended Macklemore’s run as Sheeran’s opening act. Last month, Messina Touring Group, Sheeran’s promoter, announced that venues threatened to cancel shows if Macklemore remained on the lineup. The group stated that venues notified them they would not allow a concert to take place with him, which would have impacted hundreds of thousands of fans.

Sheeran addressed the decision during his own set, explaining that he wanted to maintain his concerts as a safe space for all fans. He expressed concern that venues pre-approving content for performance was a trend he saw globally but believed should not happen in the free world. He stated that honoring his commitment to his audience was essential to his identity, which is why he continued the tour without an opener.

In announcing his own tour, Macklemore posted on Instagram that the recent events signaled a shift in expectations for artists. He wrote that being apolitical during a genocide no longer works, noting that people are now asking performers to use their platforms for more than just entertainment and to push back against attempts to silence calls for a Free Palestine.