Macklemore breaks silence at Red Rocks after Ed Sheeran tour exit

His first gig since Ed Sheeran dropped him from the tour

The 43-year-old rapper played a 17-song set at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Thursday night.

According to NME, he used the set to repeat the message that got him dropped.

Palestine, Sudan, Congo, Lebanon and Haiti all featured in his calls for freedom.

Macklemore also condemned the treatment of people targeted by the ICE law enforcement in the US.

Macklemore's Ed Sheeran tour exit

Last month, Sheeran dropped Macklemore from the tour after a pro-Palestine speech at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

The rapper said that all human beings deserved to be "treated with dignity, respect, and equality".

He also played 'Hind's Hall', a protest song about Gaza from 2024.

Following his removal, several other acts walked off in solidarity with Macklemore.

At the same time, the row shaped how the internet reacted to musicians leaving Ed Sheeran's tour.

Macklemore's free Palestine tour

Following that row, Macklemore announced benefit shows across the UK and Europe billed as a free Palestine tour.

He added that the response left him "blown away", and the shows have since sold out.

"We put these shows together fast and in community, believing that musicians can stand in solidarity with Palestine, use the stage to raise funds and show what collective action can look like," he said.

"When those in power try to silence our calls for liberation, art will always be a form of resistance."

Why was Macklemore dropped from Ed Sheeran's tour?

Sheeran removed him from the Loop tour after a pro-Palestine speech at MetLife Stadium.

He also played his Gaza protest song 'Hind's Hall' at that show.

Where is Macklemore touring next?

Macklemore's free Palestine benefit tour across the UK and Europe has sold out.

It follows the fallout from his Ed Sheeran tour exit.