Paris concert brings artists together
Aurora joined Macklemore and a group of international performers at a sold-out benefit concert in Paris on Oct. 29, using the event to express solidarity with Palestinians. The concert at the Accor Arena was the second of three European dates on Macklemore’s Free Palestine Tour, an initiative organized after the rapper was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s United States tour following public statements supporting Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
The Paris performance combined music with speeches from activists and other invited guests. Alongside Macklemore and Aurora, the bill included French singer Pomme, Portugal. The Man, DJ Habibeats, Redveil, Siba, Tamer Nafar, Xiuhtezcati Martinez and Zeyne. The event was presented as a gathering centred on a shared political and humanitarian cause rather than a conventional concert appearance.
“All the artists, all the speakers that have come together with one common goal, which is a free Palestine.”
Macklemore told the audience that ignoring a people’s history could not erase it. He described the current period as a collective awakening and referred to the continued circulation of reports and images from the conflict. His remarks also addressed the consequences of reducing people to less than their full humanity, framing the concert as part of a wider public response to the crisis.
Aurora uses performance and social media to broaden message
Aurora performed The Seed, a song released in 2019 on her album A Different Kind of Human (Step 2). She appeared at the Paris show with collaborator Fredrik Svabø, after being invited by Macklemore. The performance placed one of her established songs within an evening that connected live music to demonstrations of political support and calls for action.
In a post on Instagram after the concert, the Norwegian singer thanked Macklemore for the invitation and said it was meaningful to see the Paris audience turn out in support of Palestinians. She expanded the focus beyond Gaza and the West Bank, naming conflicts and humanitarian concerns involving the Congo, Syria, Sudan, Yemen, Lebanon and Haiti. She also referred to the treatment of women in Iran and Afghanistan.
- Event: Free Palestine benefit concert
- Venue: Accor Arena in Paris
- Date: Oct. 29
- Tour position: Second of three European dates
- Aurora’s contribution: A performance of The Seed
Calls for public participation
Aurora’s message went beyond the concert stage. In her social-media comments, she urged people to use their voices and awareness, and called for action through public demonstrations, donations, boycotts and political participation. She argued that international issues should not be treated as distant concerns, writing that the matters of the world concern everyone.
The concert reflects the increasingly visible role of performers in debates over foreign policy and humanitarian crises. Macklemore’s tour followed a professional consequence in the United States after his statements about Palestinians, while Aurora’s appearance added another prominent musical voice to the Paris event. For audiences, the night offered both a performance platform and an opportunity to hear artists connect cultural participation with political engagement. The final European date of the tour was not identified in the available information.
