US rapper Macklemore said he is “blown away” after tickets for all three shows of his upcoming Free Palestine tour “sold out immediately”.
The 43-year-old, real name Benjamin Haggerty, announced the concerts in London, Paris and Dublin earlier this month after he was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour over comments he made about Gaza.
Since then, all Sheeran’s Loop tour supporting acts, including Irish singer Aaron Rowe, Grammy award-winning musician Finneas, who is Billie Eilish’s brother, and Danish singer Lukas Graham, as well as his backing band Beoga, have dropped out of the remaining dates.
Instant sell-out reaction
Macklemore took to Instagram on Wednesday, shortly after tickets went on sale for the upcoming gigs which will bring together artists and friends to help provide humanitarian aid and support for people in Palestine.
The Grammy-winner said: “All three shows sold out immediately. I’m honestly blown away.
“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.”
The singer, known for tracks including Can’t Hold Us and Thrift Shop, added: “The response to these shows is another reminder of how many people across the world are standing together for a free Palestine.”
Line-up and tour dates
Haggerty also confirmed that the line-up for the concerts will be revealed soon, and told his 9.1 million followers he “can’t wait to be together”.
The post has since been flooded with support, including from TV presenter Laura Whitmore and singer Paloma Faith, who both commented with heart emojis.
Macklemore, who was an opener on Sheeran’s tour, sparked controversy earlier this month when he told an audience he wanted people in Gaza and the West Bank to know they had not been forgotten amid the conflict with Israel.
A petition was launched demanding he be removed from Sheeran’s remaining shows and Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns the Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, was among those who contacted the British singer saying he would not be able to play the venue unless Macklemore was removed from the tour.
Sheeran said it was the promoter’s decision to remove the US rapper from the tour and not his.
At his first gig since the row, he apologised for making “mistakes” amid the furore and described the conflict in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate”.
Charity beneficiaries
Macklemore’s upcoming tour will kick off in Dublin’s 3Arena on October 26 followed by Paris’s Accor Arena on October 29 and wrap up at London’s OVO Arena Wembley on October 30.
Artist announcements as well as additional cities will be made soon – including dates in the US.
All the proceeds from the concerts will go towards a number of organisations working in support of Palestinian people with medical care, humanitarian assistance, education, community support and advocacy.
Those organisations include Anera, Glia, Gaza Soup Kitchen, Taawon, Heal Palestine, Palestinian Youth Movement, Middle East Children’s Alliance, Jewish Voice for Peace, Medical Aid for Palestinians, Institute for Middle East Understanding, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund and UNRWA USA.
