Macklemore has defended his onstage calls for a "Free Palestine" after facing criticism from artists including P!nk and Boy George while opening for Ed Sheeran on tour. The rapper made an impassioned speech in New Jersey urging "dignity, respect, and equality" for all people, prompting the Israeli-American Council to call for his removal from the tour over what it called a "one-sided political agenda."

At MetLife Stadium, Macklemore told the crowd those in Gaza and the West Bank "have not been forgotten" and performed his pro-Palestine track 'Hind's Hall' while screening footage from Gaza. Boy George mocked him with an AI-generated image and social media posts, while P!nk shared a post accusing him of falsely alleging genocide; both a UN Commission of Inquiry and Amnesty International have concluded Israel committed genocide in Gaza, findings Israel has rejected as "distorted and false." Sheeran has not commented, but Macklemore shared his full speech, insisting that "wanting all humans to be treated equal should never be controversial" and that criticism of Israel's actions is not criticism of Jewish people.