US rapper Macklemore has announced that tickets for all three shows on his newly announced Free Palestine tour sold out almost immediately after going on sale, just weeks after he was controversially removed as a supporting act on Ed Sheeran's Loop tour. The 43-year-old — born Benjamin Haggerty and known for hits including Thrift Shop and Can't Hold Us — made the announcement to his 9.1 million Instagram followers on Wednesday, saying he was "honestly blown away" by the public response.

Macklemore's Free Palestine Tour: What We Know

The three-date tour was announced in September and is set to open at Dublin's 3Arena on October 26, before heading to Paris' Accor Arena on October 29, and wrapping up at London's OVO Arena Wembley on October 30. According to Macklemore, the shows are designed to bring together artists and friends with the aim of raising funds and providing humanitarian aid and support for people in Palestine.

In his Instagram post, the Grammy-winning rapper wrote: "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."

He added: "When those in power try to silence our calls for liberation, art will always be a form of resistance." Haggerty also told followers that the full line-up for the concerts would be revealed soon, and said he "can't wait to be together."

The post attracted widespread support online, with TV presenter Laura Whitmore and singer Paloma Faith among those commenting with heart emojis in a flood of positive responses.

How Macklemore Was Dropped From Ed Sheeran's Tour

The controversy that led to the creation of the Free Palestine tour erupted earlier in September, when Macklemore told an audience that he wanted people in Gaza and the West Bank to know they had not been forgotten amid the ongoing conflict with Israel. The remarks quickly sparked a backlash, with a petition launched calling for his removal from Sheeran's remaining Loop tour dates.

Pressure also came from prominent figures in the United States. Robert Kraft, whose Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, was among those who reportedly contacted Sheeran's camp with a warning that the British singer would not be permitted to play the venue unless Macklemore was removed from the tour. Sheeran subsequently stated that the decision to drop the rapper was made by the promoter, not by him personally.

The fallout did not end there. All of Sheeran's Loop tour supporting acts — including Irish singer Aaron Rowe, Grammy award-winning musician Finneas (brother of Billie Eilish), and Danish singer Lukas Graham — as well as his backing band Beoga, have since withdrawn from the tour's remaining dates.

At his first concert following the controversy, Sheeran apologised publicly for making "mistakes" and described the situation in Gaza as "catastrophic and unjustifiable and disproportionate."

A Message of Solidarity — and Resistance

Macklemore framed the rapid sell-out not just as a commercial success, but as a signal of broader public sentiment. "The response to these shows is another reminder of how many people across the world are standing together for a free Palestine," he said in his post.

The swift ticket sales suggest strong demand among audiences who want to see artists take a public stance on the conflict, a dynamic that has played out repeatedly in the entertainment industry in recent years. Macklemore's decision to pivot from a mainstream supporting slot to independently producing a politically focused tour underscores how quickly the landscape shifted following his removal from Sheeran's bill.

Details on the full supporting line-up for all three shows are expected to be announced in the coming days.