Macklemore continued the “Free Palestine Tour” with a sold-out benefit concert at Paris’s Accor Arena on October 29. Aurora, Pomme, Portugal. The Man and other guests joined a programme combining songs with speeches supporting Palestinians. Aurora performed “The Seed”, while the American rapper moved among the crowd during “Can’t Hold Us”. The Paris appearance followed the tour’s opening night in Dublin three days earlier.
Macklemore arrived in Paris for the second “Free Palestine Tour” concert, bringing musicians from several countries and invited speakers to Accor Arena. The October 29 show followed the Dublin opening by three days. Tickets had sold out within days of the event’s announcement, and the packed room formed the setting for a night organised around support for Palestinians.
Aurora performed “The Seed”, from her 2019 album “A Different Kind of Human (Step 2)”. The Norwegian singer has associated that song with environmental protection and people’s responsibility towards the natural world. Its existing subject fitted the socially engaged programme, without the performance being presented as a rewrite of the original lyrics for this particular occasion.
The guests also included French songwriter Pomme, Portugal. The Man, DJ Habibeats, Redveil, Siba, Tamer Nafar and Zeyne. Their contributions moved across rap, independent pop and contemporary electronic music. Pomme was the only French artist performing in the concert, giving the Paris programme a local presence alongside musicians arriving from other countries and creative backgrounds.
During Pomme’s appearance, the audience could make additional donations through a code displayed on the stage screen. That invitation extended the fundraising beyond the ticket purchase. Macklemore described the shared purpose from the stage, thanking both performers and speakers for participating in an event that placed its humanitarian and political message alongside the music.
His own selections included “These Days”, the collaboration with Rudimental, Jess Glynne and Dan Caplen. During “Can’t Hold Us”, one of his biggest hits, he came down from the stage and crossed the barrier separating him from the spectators. The crowd briefly lifted him as the song continued, turning part of the performance into a moment among the audience.
Red and green confetti fell into the arena, referring to colours in the Palestinian flag. That visual element accompanied the musical celebration while maintaining the evening’s stated focus. Macklemore’s movement into the crowd was one of the performance details of the Paris show, alongside guest appearances that distinguished this date from the tour’s earlier stop.
Speeches took place between musical sets. Journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, actor Carice van Houten and Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, appeared onstage. Albanese spoke about collective action and solidarity, encouraging those present to continue paying attention to the situation facing Palestinians beyond the concert itself.
Macklemore also addressed the audience, speaking about Palestinian history and images from Gaza circulated in recent years. He used forceful language about the war, expressing his own political position. Those remarks belonged to the public stance he has taken in recent years and formed part of the event’s political content, alongside the songs and fundraising invitations.
The tour was announced in September after the rapper was removed from planned opening appearances on Ed Sheeran’s tour. That decision followed his public statements supporting Palestinians. Sheeran said the tour promoter had made the decision. Macklemore subsequently announced three European benefit concerts involving artists who had expressed similar views, creating a separate programme around that shared purpose.
The first concert took place at Dublin’s 3Arena on October 26. Its guests included Hozier, Kneecap and Beoga, making the Irish programme different from the Paris lineup. The rapper later described that opening as one of the most emotional experiences of his career, publicly thanking the people who had taken part in the event.
Those Dublin appearances should not be transferred to the Paris bill. Aurora, Pomme and the other artists at Accor Arena gave the second night its own programme. The change of guests allowed the shared tour purpose to continue through different performances, rather than repeating every part of the Irish concert in the French capital three days later. The changing lineup is one reason the Paris evening needs to be described on its own.
Organisers say proceeds are intended for 12 organisations working in humanitarian aid, healthcare and support for Palestinian communities. Named beneficiaries include Medical Aid for Palestinians, HEAL Palestine, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and UNRWA USA. No final financial account or specific donation total from the Paris concert had been published when the show was reported.
The third announced European concert was scheduled for Friday, October 30, at London’s OVO Arena Wembley. All three initial dates were announced as sold out. Macklemore has left open the possibility of more cities, although that is distinct from confirming additional concerts, and the available programme at this stage remains the three announced European appearances.
With Paris completed, the tour had moved from its Irish opening towards the London date, maintaining a benefit format that combines music, invited speakers and public statements. The Accor Arena night added Aurora’s “The Seed”, Pomme’s appearance and Macklemore’s crowd interaction to that sequence, while the final amount raised and its eventual distribution remained to be reported.
IMAGE_CREDIT: Zoe Rain
