Macklemore’s Pro-Palestine Tour Sells Out Amid Ed Sheeran Ticket Resale Slump

POLICY WIRE — London, UK — Rapper Macklemore has announced that his upcoming Free Palestine tour has sold out immediately, a development occurring shortly after he was removed from Ed Sheeran’s concert lineup due to his public comments on the conflict.

The artist is scheduled to perform three shows this October at Dublin’s 3 Arena, Paris’s Accor Arena, and London’s Wembley Arena. All proceeds from these events are designated for organizations providing support to Palestinians.

Expressing his reaction to the rapid ticket sales, Macklemore stated, I’m honestly blown away. He added that the shows were organized quickly to demonstrate that musicians can stand in solidarity with Palestine and utilize their platforms to raise funds and highlight collective action.

Macklemore further remarked, 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 tour announcement follows Macklemore’s removal from the U.S. dates of Sheeran’s Loop tour. The rapper alleged that Robert Kraft, CEO of Kraft Group and owner of Gillette Stadium, personally contacted Sheeran to block his performance at the venue.

Sheeran faced significant backlash for his handling of the situation, telling fans he would not engage in public debate regarding the Gaza war and characterizing the removal as the promoter’s decision. The controversy led to the withdrawal of other opening acts and sparked protests outside Sheeran’s recent performances.

While Macklemore’s new tour has seen high demand, Sheeran’s own ticket sales have struggled. Resale platforms show a sharp decline in prices, with some tickets for his October 3 Atlanta show listed for as low as $19.49 on Ticketmaster.

Data from Ticketdata indicates that resale prices for many of Sheeran’s upcoming gigs have fallen below face value. Even prior to the recent controversy, several dates on the Loop tour had failed to sell out, leaving hundreds of tickets available for various stadium shows.

During a performance at Lincoln Financial Field, Sheeran apologized to fans for the disappointment caused by the tour changes. He also addressed the Israel-Palestine conflict, describing the October 7 attack as horrific while labeling the situation in Gaza as catastrophic, unjustifiable, and disproportionate.

Reflecting on the broader implications of his removal, Macklemore stated, “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 concluded by noting, “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.” Representatives for both Sheeran and Macklemore have been contacted for comment.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)