Macklemore used his first concert since his removal from Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour to make clear that his public positions on Palestine and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have not changed.

During a 17-song performance at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Thursday night, Oct. 22, the rapper paused to call for a “free Palestine.” He also spoke about Sudan, Congo, Lebanon and Haiti, along with people affected by ICE in the United States.

“Being a human being in this moment is not complicated,” Macklemore said in 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.”

Macklemore closed the remarks by telling the audience, “The message will always be love.”

Tour controversy followed New Jersey performances

The Red Rocks show was Macklemore’s first concert since his September run as an opening act on Sheeran’s Loop Tour became the center of a wider dispute.

At two MetLife Stadium concerts in New Jersey, Macklemore called for Palestinian freedom and performed his 2024 protest song “Hind’s Hall” with imagery from Gaza. Those appearances drew criticism from organizations including the Israeli-American Council and eventually resulted in his removal from the tour’s remaining dates.

Messina Touring Group said venues scheduled to host the upcoming U.S. concerts had informed organizers that they would not stage the shows if Macklemore remained on the lineup.

Robert Kraft later confirmed that he had prevented Macklemore from appearing at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts. Kraft’s Kraft Group owns the venue. He said the rapper’s rhetoric and imagery had been offensive and hurtful to members of the Jewish community.

Sheeran subsequently said the decision had not been his, explaining that the promoter and venues were responsible for removing Macklemore. “I respect Macklemore’s strength of purpose to stand up and shout for what he believes,” Sheeran said, while describing his own preferred response as seeking to “maintain diplomacy and keep conversations open, not closed.”

Macklemore later pledged the $1 million he earned from his time on the tour to organizations providing aid to Palestinians. Kraft subsequently announced a $2 million contribution toward humanitarian aid in the region.

The fallout extended beyond Macklemore’s departure. Opening acts Finneas, Aaron Rowe and Lukas Graham withdrew from scheduled appearances, as did Beoga, Sheeran’s backing band.

Streaming numbers rose amid the dispute

The controversy was accompanied by a sharp increase in listening to Macklemore’s music. Early Luminate data reported by Billboard showed that official on-demand U.S. streams of his solo catalog climbed 172%, from 282,000 on Sept. 13 to 767,000 on Sept. 15.

When his work with Ryan Lewis was included, Macklemore’s total catalog rose 97% during the same period, moving from just over 1 million U.S. streams to nearly 2 million.

“Hind’s Hall” recorded the biggest surge. The song jumped from slightly more than 5,000 U.S. streams on Sept. 13 to nearly 87,000 on Sept. 15, marking its highest daily total in more than two years.

Macklemore’s solo Billboard Hot 100 history also includes “Good Old Days” featuring Kesha, “Glorious” featuring Skylar Grey and “Summer Days” with Martin Garrix and Patrick Stump.

ShowBiz Take

The Red Rocks appearance matters because it was Macklemore’s first return to the concert stage following a dispute that changed not only his role on the Loop Tour, but also the tour’s remaining roster. Rather than move away from the remarks that preceded his removal, he again used his stage time to advocate for Palestinians and others facing humanitarian crises or the effects of immigration enforcement.

The streaming data adds another dimension to the story. While Macklemore lost his place on the remaining Loop Tour dates, attention around the dispute coincided with substantially higher U.S. streaming totals, particularly for “Hind’s Hall.” His response has also moved beyond public statements, with money from the Sheeran dates pledged to Palestinian aid groups and a separate run of benefit concerts organized under the Free Palestine Tour name.

What Happens Next?

Macklemore’s sold-out Free Palestine Tour is scheduled to continue with concerts in Dublin on Oct. 26, Paris on Oct. 29 and London on Oct. 30.

Proceeds are set to benefit organizations supporting Palestinians, including Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.