Macklemore's 'Free Palestine' Tour Sells Out Quickly in Europe

Within hours of going on sale, all tickets for Macklemore's "Free Palestine" concert tour in Dublin, Paris, and London were sold out, the American rapper announced Wednesday. Macklemore expressed his astonishment at the "response," stating that the shows were organized rapidly with the belief that "musicians can stand in solidarity with Palestine, use the stage to raise funds, and show what collective action can look like."

He further commented on Instagram that "when those in power try to silence our calls for liberation, art will always be a form of resistance." Macklemore sees the sold-out shows as a reminder of global solidarity for a "free Palestine."

Additional artists are expected to join the tour, with their names to be revealed in the coming weeks. The concerts are scheduled for late October at Dublin's 3Arena, Paris's Accor Arena, and London's OVO Arena Wembley, each with a capacity of 13,000 to 20,000 people. Pre-sales began Monday, with general sales opening on Wednesday.

Macklemore announced the protest tour last week after being removed from Ed Sheeran's tour. This decision followed criticism over Macklemore's pro-Palestinian statements during a warm-up performance. Reports indicated that stadium owners, including Jewish billionaire Robert Kraft, informed Sheeran's producers that Macklemore would not be permitted to perform at eight of the remaining ten shows.

In response, Macklemore pledged to donate the $1 million he would have earned from the tour to six Palestinian aid organizations and challenged Kraft to match the donation. Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts where Macklemore was slated to perform, agreed to double the amount, contributing $2 million to "humanitarian aid in the region." Kraft, who also owns the New England Patriots and is known to be close to Donald Trump and a supporter of Israel, made this commitment.