Grammy-winning country star Zach Bryan walked onto the stage at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on the night of Friday, October 2, 2026, wearing a black T-shirt bearing the words “FREE PALESTINE” in large white letters.
It was n one of the most pointed statements in music so far this year, as the performance happened in the very stadium whose owner, Robert Kraft, is widely credited with forcing Macklemore off Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour last month over similar pro-Palestinian remarks.
Zach Bryan, 30, whose With Heaven On Tour sold out both his October 2 and 3 dates at the stadium, made a visual statement that said everything as his entire band walked out wearing the same shirts alongside him without having to address anything.
He also performed his protest track “Hind’s Hall” during the set, accompanied by imagery from Gaza projected on the screens behind him.
The choice of attire carried context, as Gillette Stadium is owned by the Kraft Group, led by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
In September 2026, Robert Kraft was central to the controversy surrounding Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour after Macklemore said “Free Palestine” onstage at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey during his opening set.
Multiple venue owners, led by Kraft, then gave Ed Sheeran’s promoter Messina Touring Group an ultimatum to drop Macklemore from the tour or lose access to their stadiums.
Ed Sheeran ultimately released a statement saying the decision belonged to the promoter, not to him, and expressed regret at being unable to resolve the situation.
Robert Kraft subsequently confirmed that he opposed Macklemore performing at Gillette Stadium, citing what he described as the rapper’s antisemitic rhetoric and imagery and statements he called deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community.
