Country star Zach Bryan took the stage at Gillette Stadium on Friday night wearing a shirt reading "Free Palestine," delivering a visible visual statement at the Foxborough venue owned by Robert Kraft. The appearance occurred in the wake of public scrutiny directed at Kraft over the recent cancellation of Macklemore's planned opening performances on Ed Sheeran's tour.
Bryan was performing as part of his ongoing With Heaven On Tour during the first night of a scheduled two-evening residency at the venue. Fan-recorded photos and video footage quickly surfaced across social media platforms showing Bryan on stage dressed in a black shirt featuring the phrase "Free Palestine." Additionally, several backing musicians performing alongside Bryan wore Palestine-branded apparel. Bryan did not speak about the shirt or offer spoken commentary regarding Palestine during his set.
Macklemore's Upcoming European 'Free Palestine' Tour Dates
| Date | City |
|---|---|
| Oct. 26 | Dublin |
| Oct. 29 | Paris |
| Oct. 30 | London |
Venue Tensions Follow Macklemore's Tour Removal
The venue appearance follows heightened industry attention on Kraft, who owns both the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium. Rapper Macklemore previously alleged that Kraft organized fellow stadium owners to issue an ultimatum demanding his removal from Sheeran's tour schedule. According to Macklemore, the directive followed an appearance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey where the rapper shouted "Free Palestine" and displayed video from Gaza during his opening performance.
Following Macklemore's exclusion from the dates, Kraft issued a formal statement defending the venue's policy against platforms hosting hate speech. Kraft cited Macklemore's actions during the New Jersey shows alongside what he characterized as a broader history of offensive rhetoric hurtful to the Jewish community, stating those factors led to the conclusion that Macklemore's planned September 25 and 26 appearances at Gillette Stadium crossed an unacceptable boundary. Kraft noted at the time that he remained willing to meet with Macklemore directly to discuss the issue.
For his part, Ed Sheeran released a statement clarifying that the decision to drop Macklemore rested entirely with the tour promoter rather than with him directly. The fallout prompted additional supporting acts—including Finneas, Danish group Lukas Graham, and Irish vocalist Aaron Rowe—to exit Sheeran's tour lineup in a show of solidarity.
Artists Respond to Gillette Stadium Demonstrations
Macklemore quickly noted Bryan's appearance at Kraft's stadium. On his personal Instagram Stories, Macklemore reposted an image of Bryan wearing the "Free Palestine" apparel, tagging venue owner Robert Kraft accompanied by a side-eye emoji and the Palestinian flag.
Prior to Bryan's performance, Macklemore had pledged a $1 million charitable donation to assist Palestinian civilians, publicly challenging Kraft to match the funds. Kraft subsequently agreed, announcing a $2 million financial commitment to match the initiative and support humanitarian aid efforts in the region.
Upcoming Tour Dates and Financial Support Initiatives
In response to his removal from the stadium dates, Macklemore organized an independent three-date "Free Palestine" Tour to raise funding for pro-Palestinian initiatives. The upcoming international concert series is scheduled to make stops across Europe late in the month.
Promoters reported that tickets across all three scheduled international venues sold out quickly after the dates were announced, with Macklemore citing collective musician solidarity as central to the effort. Meanwhile, Bryan is scheduled to wrap up his two-night stay at Gillette Stadium to bring his current tour run to a close.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
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