Zach Bryan Wears Free Palestine Shirt at Robert Kraft’s Gillette Stadium
Zach Bryan wore a t-shirt reading “Free Palestine” during his sold-out concert at Gillette Stadium on Friday night, appearing to send a message to venue owner Robert Kraft following a recent tour controversy involving Macklemore. Consequence reported that Bryan took the stage in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on October 2, 2026, launching the closing leg of his With Heaven on Tour.
Zach Bryan Takes the Stage at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough
The alt-country artist wore a black T-shirt featuring 3D white lettering that read “FREE PALESTINE,” separated by a picture of a pine tree from the phrase “AN APPEAL TO HEAVEN,” according to the National Park Service. The imagery references an American Revolutionary campaign connected to George Washington’s command of the Continental Army, where colonists summoned help to defend natural rights.
Bryan was joined by members of his touring crew who also wore Palestine-branded clothing. Guitarist Noah Le Gros wore a green Palestine soccer jersey on stage, later sharing a photograph of himself standing in front of Kraft Sports and Entertainment signage at the venue. Bryan is scheduled to return for the second night of his Gillette Stadium run on Saturday evening.
Macklemore Performance Sparks Pressure Campaign Against Ed Sheeran
The wardrobe choice follows an incident involving rapper Macklemore, who performed as an opener on Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour. During a September 4 show at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Macklemore wore a keffiyeh, shouted “Free Palestine,” and performed his protest song “Hind’s Hall” while images from the war in Gaza played on screens. Pro-Israel groups criticized the performance, and stadium owners threatened to drop Sheeran’s tour dates.
Macklemore later claimed that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft mounted a pressure campaign against Sheeran to remove him from the lineup. Kraft confirmed in a statement that he decided to bar Macklemore from performing at Gillette Stadium based on his recent actions, though he did not address claims of rallying other owners. Following Macklemore’s removal, every supporting artist withdrew from Sheeran’s stadium run, with Finneas writing on social media that artists must not be silenced when speaking up for the oppressed.
Outlets Report on Tour Withdrawals and Stadium Silence
Coverage across entertainment outlets highlighted different elements of the ongoing fallout. While the National Park Service detailed the specific visual elements of Bryan’s shirt and his guitarist’s social media posts, Rolling Stone focused on the broader artist withdrawals from Ed Sheeran’s tour and Macklemore’s subsequent announcement of sold-out headlining dates for a Free Palestine Tour. Consequence noted that representatives for Gillette Stadium did not immediately return requests for comment regarding Friday night’s concert.
Following Macklemore’s removal in September, Kraft and Sheeran agreed to donate money to Palestinian relief efforts, with Kraft stating that Ed Sheeran called him to commit $2 million to aid the humanitarian crisis. As Bryan’s weekend run at Gillette Stadium continues, representatives for the venue have not released further statements addressing the shirts worn during the Friday performance.
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