American rapper Macklemore has announced that his newly launched Free Palestine tour has sold out all three European arena shows within minutes of tickets going on sale.
The rapper shared the update on Instagram on Wednesday, saying all three shows sold out immediately. He said he was surprised by the response and described the concerts as an effort built through community support and solidarity with Palestinians.
Macklemore said the shows were organised quickly to give musicians a platform to express solidarity with Palestine, raise funds and demonstrate collective action. He added that the line-ups for the three concerts would be announced soon.
The tour was announced less than a week earlier. It followed Macklemore’s removal from Ed Sheeran’s US tour earlier in September.
The dispute began after Macklemore used his opening performance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4 to call for a “Free Palestine”. He told the audience that people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank should know they had not been forgotten.
He also performed his protest song “Hind’s Hall”. The performance drew criticism and reportedly prompted a petition from the Israeli American Council. Macklemore later said pressure was also placed on the tour through influential stadium owners.
Following his removal, several remaining support acts on Sheeran’s tour withdrew. These included Finneas, Lukas Graham and Irish band Beoga, who expressed solidarity with Macklemore.
Macklemore has since presented the new tour as part of a wider conversation about artistic expression and political solidarity. He said that when powerful groups attempt to silence calls for liberation, art can become a form of resistance.
The three sold-out shows are expected to feature additional artists, with their line-ups set to be announced later.
