Macklemore ‘blown away’ after Palestine tour sells out ‘immediately’
DPA
Wed, September 30, 2026
Macklemore has stated that tickets for his "Free
Palestine" tour—announced following the controversy surrounding Ed
Sheeran's concerts—sold out immediately.
Last week, the American rapper announced that he would
be joined by other musicians—whose names are yet to be revealed—for three
concerts taking place in October at Dublin’s 3Arena, Paris’s Accor Arena, and
London’s Wembley Arena. All proceeds from the concerts will go to organizations
supporting Palestinians.
"I am truly blown away," said Macklemore in
a statement announcing the tour's sell-out. He continued: "We put these
shows together quickly and in community, believing that musicians can show
solidarity with Palestine, use the stage to raise funds, and demonstrate what
collective action can look like."
"When those in power try to silence our cries for
liberation, art will always be a form of resistance. Dublin, Paris, and
London—thank you for your support. The response to these concerts is yet
another reminder of how many people around the world are uniting for a free
Palestine," he added.
Earlier this month, Macklemore announced that he had
been dropped from the U.S. dates of Sheeran’s *Loop* tour due to his
pro-Palestine comments on stage. He stated that Robert Kraft—CEO of the Kraft
Group, which owns Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, USA—had personally called
Sheeran to inform him that he would not be permitted to perform at the venue.
Sheeran faced harsh criticism from fans and
commentators for initially responding that he would not engage in a public
debate regarding the war in Gaza and that the decision to drop Macklemore had
been made by the promoter. The controversy deepened when other opening acts for
Sheeran withdrew, while protesters gathered outside his first concert without
Macklemore last week.
While Macklemore responded to the situation by
announcing his own charity tour, it appears that fans who changed their minds
about seeing Sheeran are struggling to resell their tickets, with resale prices
plummeting across various platforms. As of this writing, a single ticket for
Sheeran’s October 3 concert in Atlanta is selling for $19.49 (including fees)
on Ticketmaster. Hundreds of tickets are available.
The Independent has contacted representatives for
Sheeran and Macklemore for comment.
Even before the controversy, many dates on Sheeran’s
Loop tour had failed to sell out, with hundreds of tickets still available for
some of the large stadium shows.
According to Ticketdata, a website that tracks changes
in resale ticket prices, resale prices for Sheeran’s upcoming concerts have
dropped sharply, with some even falling below their original face value.
Sheeran addressed the aftermath of the onstage
incident during a concert at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, saying he
was deeply sorry for having disappointed his fans.
He then clarified his stance on the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, stating: "What happened in Israel and at the
music festival (Supernova Sukkot Gathering) on October 7 was horrific and
compounded centuries of Jewish suffering. But what is happening in Gaza is
catastrophic, unjustifiable, and disproportionate."
Upon announcing his "Free Palestine" tour,
Macklemore declared: "If the last few weeks have shown us anything, it’s
that something has changed over the past three years. There has been a
collective awakening regarding Palestinian liberation, as well as the power of
billionaires trying to censor that outcry and what we expect from artists
today."
The "Thrift Shop" rapper continued:
"What happened to me goes beyond any single artist or stage. When the
billionaire class can decide which voices are allowed on stage and which ones
are too dangerous to be heard, everyone should pay attention."
