Macklemore says 'Free Palestine' tour sold out immediately

Macklemore has said tickets for his Free Palestine tour have sold out immediately, after he announced the shows following his removal from the US dates of Ed Sheeran's Loop tour.

The rapper announced last week that he would be joined by other musicians, to be announced later, for three October concerts at Dublin's 3Arena, Paris's Accor Arena and London's Wembley Arena.

All proceeds will go to organisations supporting Palestinians, according to media reports.

"I'm honestly blown away," Macklemore said in a statement announcing the sellout. "We put these shows together fast and in community, believing that musicians can stand in solidarity with Palestine, use the stage to raise funds and show what collective action can look like."

"When those in power try to silence our calls for liberation, art will always be a form of resistance. Dublin, Paris and London, thank you for showing up the way you did," he added.

Earlier this month, Macklemore said he had been dropped from the US dates of Sheeran's Loop tour over his pro-Palestine comments onstage.

He claimed Robert Kraft, CEO of Kraft Group which owns Gillette Stadium, personally called Sheeran to say Macklemore would not be allowed to perform at the venue.

Sheeran faced backlash after saying he would not be drawn into a public debate over the Gaza war and that removing Macklemore was "the promoter's decision". 

The controversy escalated after Sheeran's other opening acts withdrew and protesters gathered outside his first concert without Macklemore.

Amid the fallout, Macklemore announced his own fundraising tour, while some Sheeran fans have struggled to resell their tickets, with resale prices falling on various platforms.

A single ticket for Sheeran's 3 October concert in Atlanta was being sold for $19.49 including fees on Ticketmaster, with hundreds still available, according to the media reports.

Several dates on Sheeran's Loop tour had also failed to sell out even before the controversy. 

Ticketdata, which tracks resale ticket prices, said prices for his upcoming concerts had dropped sharply, with some tickets selling below face value.

Sheeran later addressed the fallout onstage at a concert at Lincoln Financial Field, saying he was "so sorry" for disappointing his fans.

He also clarified his stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict, saying, "What happened in Israel, and at the music festival on October 7th was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate."

Macklemore said the controversy reflected a broader shift towards Palestinian liberation and growing scrutiny of wealthy individuals' influence over artists.

"What happened to me is bigger than one artist or one stage. When the billionaire class can decide which voices are allowed on stage and which ones are too dangerous to hear, everyone should be paying attention," he said.