Hozier Joins Macklemore and Kneecap for Sold-Out Free Palestine Benefit in Dublin

A Sold-Out Night at the 3Arena

Dublin's 3Arena was full on Monday night as Macklemore opened his three-city Free Palestine benefit series with a bill that included Hozier, Kneecap, Palestinian American DJ and producer DJ Habibeats, Palestinian singer-songwriter Lina Makoul and rapper M1 of Dead Prez. The lineup was not revealed in advance, but the room was packed for an evening built around Palestinian aid organizations, with Paris and London scheduled for later in the week.

For Hozier, the appearance places him back on a Dublin stage at a moment when Irish artists are being watched closely for how they respond to the war in Gaza. He is no stranger to large Irish rooms — his third album, Unreal Unearth, debuted at number one in both Ireland and the UK in 2023, and the following year's Unheard EP gave him his first chart-topping single in Ireland, the US and the UK with "Too Sweet." Monday's set was not a Hozier headline show, but his presence on the bill gave the benefit a marquee Irish name alongside Kneecap, one of the country's most outspoken acts.

Beoga's Return, and a Bill Built on Solidarity

Also on the bill was Beoga, the Irish folk band that had been performing with Ed Sheeran every night on his Loop Tour before leaving in solidarity with Macklemore. Their appearance in Dublin underscored how quickly the fallout from Macklemore's removal from that tour has reshaped the lives of the musicians around it: a backing band one week, a benefit-concert act the next, in their own country.

The evening was not only music. Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham, activist and psychotherapist Nadia Greenspan and artist and organizer Samir Eskanda spoke as special guests. Mark Ruffalo, The Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas, Cynthia Nixon, Ilana Glazer and Natasha Rothwell made remote appearances. Cunningham, according to published reports, told the room that enjoying the night did not mean forgetting the suffering in Gaza, but rather celebrating the humanity and life Palestinians have fought to protect.

Why Hozier Fits This Bill

Hozier's catalogue has long carried the kind of political and social-justice framing that makes a benefit appearance feel like a natural extension of his songwriting rather than a detour. From "Take Me to Church" — the 2013 debut single that reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a multi-platinum rock radio hit in the US — through the Nina Cried Power EP in 2018, his work has drawn on folk, soul and blues while taking explicit stances on social issues. That record's title track reached number one on Billboard's Adult Alternative Songs chart, and its name checked the civil-rights-era activism of Nina Simone and others.

He has also become a genuinely global figure in the past two years. Wasteland, Baby! topped both the Irish Albums Chart and the Billboard 200 in 2019, and in 2025 Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In that light, his decision to show up for a Dublin benefit — rather than issue a statement from a distance — carries weight with an Irish audience that has watched the country's musicians take increasingly direct positions on Palestine.

The Context Behind the Concerts

The three-city run grew out of Macklemore's abrupt exit from the North American leg of Ed Sheeran's Loop Tour in September. During a stop at MetLife Stadium he told the crowd "Free Palestine" and voiced support for people in Gaza and the West Bank. Macklemore later said New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft pushed for his removal, and Kraft confirmed he had barred the rapper from Gillette Stadium, citing those comments and what he called a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery. Sheeran said the decision was made by his promoter, not him; Messina Touring Group stated that venues on the upcoming US dates would not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup.

Macklemore has pledged his $1 million in net earnings from the tour to Palestinian aid groups. When the series was announced in September, Live Nation named beneficiaries including Anera, Medical Aid for Palestinians, the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, Jewish Voice for Peace and UNRWA USA. Organizers said the proceeds support humanitarian relief, medical care, education and advocacy. Dublin came just days after Macklemore's first show since leaving the Sheeran tour, a 17-song set at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Oct. 22.

What Comes Next

The series moves to Paris' Accor Arena on Thursday (Oct. 29) and closes at London's OVO Arena Wembley on Friday (Oct. 30). All three dates are sold out. Hozier has not been announced for the Paris or London bills, and the organisers' habit of keeping lineups under wraps until showtime means further guests are possible but unconfirmed.

For Hozier, Monday night is another entry in a run of years in which his commercial peak and his public voice have grown at the same pace. A number-one single, a chart-topping album and a Time honour have given him a platform; using it at the 3Arena, in front of a home crowd, on a bill with Kneecap and Beoga, signals where he intends to stand. Whether or not he appears at the remaining dates, the Dublin show has already tied his name to one of the most closely followed benefit series of the year.