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

American rapper Macklemore's "Free Palestine" tour, announced in response to his removal from Ed Sheeran's tour, has sold out all tickets for its three European dates within hours of general sale. The shows in Dublin, Paris, and London were declared sold out shortly after tickets became available to the public on Wednesday. Macklemore expressed his astonishment at the "response," stating on Instagram that the concerts were organized quickly 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 added that when "those in power try to silence our calls for liberation, art will always be a form of resistance."

The "Free Palestine" tour is 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. Macklemore announced the protest tour last week after being removed from Ed Sheeran's tour due to backlash over his 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 allowed to perform at eight of the remaining ten shows.

In response to his removal, 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, responded by pledging to double the amount, donating $2 million to "humanitarian aid in the region." Kraft, who also owns the New England Patriots and is considered an ally of Donald Trump, is a known supporter of Israel.