Humiliation for Israel loyalists as Macklemore’s ‘Free Palestine’ tour sells out despite attempts to silence him

US rapper Macklemore has announced that all three concerts on his “Free Palestine” tour sold out “immediately”, weeks after he was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s US tour following his onstage support for Palestinians.

The fundraising concerts will take place in October at Dublin’s 3Arena, Paris’s Accor Arena and London’s Wembley Arena, with all proceeds going to organisations supporting Palestinians. Other participating musicians will be announced later.

“I’m honestly blown away,” Macklemore said in a statement announcing the sell-out, The Independent reported.

“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.”

READ: Zionist billionaire pressure to silence Macklemore sparks exodus from Ed Sheeran tour

Commenting on the surge in global support for Palestine, Macklemore added: “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. The response to these shows is another reminder of how many people across the world are standing together for a free Palestine.”

The announcement follows a row over Macklemore’s removal from the US dates of Sheeran’s Loop tour. The rapper said several venues had refused to allow him to perform following his pro-Palestinian remarks.

Macklemore alleged that billionaire Robert Kraft, whose business owns Gillette Stadium, personally contacted Sheeran to say he could not perform at the venue.

Sheeran attributed the removal to the promoter and initially said he would not enter a public debate about the war in Gaza. His response drew criticism, while his other supporting acts subsequently withdrew from the tour.

Irish musician Aaron Rowe, Danish band Lukas Graham, US artist Finneas and Irish group Beoga all pulled out following Macklemore’s removal.

READ: Macklemore announces $1 million donation to Palestinian relief groups amid tour dispute

Announcing his own concerts, Macklemore framed the dispute as part of a wider struggle over censorship and solidarity with Palestinians.

“If these last couple of weeks have shown us anything, it’s that something has shifted over the last three years. There has been a collective awakening around Palestinian liberation, the power of billionaires that try to censor that call, and what we expect from artists right now,” he said.

“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.”

Meanwhile, The Independent reported falling resale prices for some of Sheeran’s forthcoming concerts. On 30 September, it found a ticket for his 3 October Atlanta show listed on Ticketmaster for $19.49, including fees, with hundreds available.

The newspaper also noted that several dates had not sold out before the controversy, meaning the availability of tickets cannot be attributed solely to the backlash.

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