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American rapper Macklemore ended his European Free Palestine tour this week with two sold-out shows in Paris and London, joined onstage by Gaza survivors and a United Nations human rights expert.
At the Paris concert on Oct. 29, the Seattle artist met four teenagers and children from Gaza who are receiving support from HEAL Palestine, a humanitarian aid organization.
Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, also joined him on stage to speak about the resilience of Palestinians.
Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to Britain, presented him with an olive wood gift containing Palestinian soil, a symbolic gesture of thanks.
The evenings combined music with personal encounters and public calls for solidarity, as discussions about the conflict continue.
The tour followed a turbulent stretch for the rapper. Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s U.S. stadium tour after he called for Free Palestine while opening for Sheeran at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Sheeran has said the promoter, not he, decided to cut Macklemore from the lineup. Macklemore has said Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, personally told Sheeran that Macklemore would not be allowed to perform there.
The European shows, billed as "Macklemore and Friends," also included a stop at Dublin’s 3Arena on Oct. 26, in addition to the Oct. 29 concert at Paris’ Accor Arena and the Oct. 30 show at London’s OVO Arena Wembley. All three sold out.
Proceeds will go to 12 organizations that support Palestinians, including Gaza Soup Kitchen, Medical Aid for Palestinians and the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
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