Macklemore Takes Palestine Message Back To The Stage At Red Rocks

Macklemore renewed his support for Palestinians and criticized ICE at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, returning to the stage after being removed from his remaining opening dates for Ed Sheeran.

The Seattle rapper performed at the Colorado venue on October 22.

He urged the crowd to see the suffering of others as a human concern rather than a political divide.

“Being a human being in this moment is not complicated,” Macklemore said. “It is not political. It is human to have a heart to watch others suffer and to say not any more.”

The crowd erupted in cheers as he continued his message of solidarity.

“I say free Palestine,” he declared, extending his call for liberation beyond a single cause.

“I say free Sudan. I say free Congo, Lebanon, to Haiti. To all the people that are affected by ICE in America, that are afraid to leave their houses.”

“The message will always be love,” he said.

The concert followed a dispute over what he said while opening for Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey in September.

During those appearances, he called for Palestinian freedom and performed “Hind’s Hall,” his protest song released in 2024.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft objected to having him perform at Gillette Stadium.

Kraft said his concerns involved both the New Jersey performances and what he described as a history of rhetoric and imagery offensive to Jewish people.

The rapper rejected the idea that his message targeted Jewish people. He distinguished criticism of Israel from criticism of Jewish people and called for equal treatment.

He had also criticized ICE during that earlier speech.

After his removal, Sheeran’s other announced supporting acts withdrew in solidarity.

Sheeran said the decision came from the tour’s organizers and that he had tried to resolve the dispute. He later apologized for his handling of it during a Philadelphia concert.

The fallout also led to a financial pledge. Macklemore committed his $1 million in net earnings from the Sheeran dates to six organizations supporting Palestinians and challenged Kraft to match him.

Kraft said he had already committed $2 million for humanitarian aid in the region.

In his public announcement for the benefit concerts, Macklemore said the dispute went beyond his own career or access to a stage.

A separate series of “Free Palestine” benefit concerts is scheduled to begin at Dublin’s 3Arena on October 26, followed by Paris’ Accor Arena on October 29 and London’s OVO Arena Wembley on October 30. Proceeds are intended for organizations supporting Palestinians.