Zach Bryan wears Free Palestine shirt at Robert Kraft's Gillette Stadium

Gillette Stadium concert

Country music artist Zach Bryan performed on stage at Gillette Stadium on Friday, October 2, wearing a black T-shirt displaying the text "Free Palestine." The 30-year-old Grammy winner was conducting the first performance of two consecutive dates scheduled for his With Heaven On Tour in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Bryan's shirt featured white lettering accompanied by a pine tree flag and the phrase "Appeal to heaven," which refers to an American Revolution campaign. Other musicians in Bryan's band also appeared in themed attire, including guitarist Noah Le Gros, who wore a Palestine soccer jersey on stage. Le Gros subsequently published an image of himself wearing the soccer shirt while posing in front of a Kraft Sports and Entertainment sign at the venue. Bryan did not verbally comment on the shirt or his wardrobe selection from the stage during the Friday night concert.

The dispute over Macklemore

Gillette Stadium is owned and operated by the Kraft Group, which is led by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. The appearance by Bryan occurred several weeks after Kraft organized efforts with other National Football League venue owners to remove rapper Macklemore from Ed Sheeran's U.S. tour. Macklemore had served as an opening act for Sheeran's Loop Tour at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on September 4 and September 5. During those opening sets, Macklemore shouted "Free Palestine" to the audience and performed his 2024 protest track titled "Hind's Hall." On the second night in New Jersey, Macklemore addressed Jewish concertgoers in the crowd directly, stating that his public criticism of the Israeli government was not directed toward them.

Tour cancellations and departures

Following the MetLife Stadium concerts, the Israeli-American Council initiated a petition demanding Macklemore's removal from the tour bill. On September 14, tour promoter Messina Touring Group formally announced that Macklemore would not appear on any of the remaining U.S. tour stops after multiple stadium owners threatened to cancel scheduled concert dates. Kraft confirmed his role in the decision on September 14, stating that he felt an obligation to intervene because he believed a boundary had been crossed regarding antisemitism, while noting that Palestinian suffering is real. Ed Sheeran published a statement on September 15 explaining that the removal was the promoter's decision following an ultimatum from venue operators, noting that he had spoken directly with Kraft. In response to the promoter's move, fellow opening performers Finneas, Aaron Rowe, and Lukas Graham left the tour in solidarity, joined by Sheeran's touring backing group, the Irish folk band Beoga.

Independent tour and upcoming dates

Macklemore addressed the situation through a statement on Instagram, detailing the financial losses, cancelled brand partnerships, dropped festival appearances, and lost private performance bookings resulting from his political advocacy. He subsequently pledged $1 million from his touring revenues to Palestinian relief organizations. Macklemore also arranged the independent Free Palestine Tour, consisting of European performances scheduled across Dublin, Paris, and London between October 26 and October 30, which sold out immediately. Sheeran's scheduled stops at Gillette Stadium the previous weekend did not take place because severe weather from an approaching nor'easter forced the cancellation of both Boston-area shows. Bryan remains scheduled to play the second date of his Foxborough stop on Saturday night, October 3. Representatives for Kraft did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding Bryan's appearance.