Grammy winner Zach Bryan took a fashion stance by wearing a black T-shirt emblazoned with “Free Palestine” during the first of two dates on his With Heaven On Tour in Foxboro, Mass. at Gillette Stadium on Friday night (October 2).
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Brian’s band members were also seen in matching shirts tmzFan footage of that moment is rapidly circulating on social media. Bryan was not seen addressing Shirt from the stage.
It’s hard to read the wardrobe choice – and location – as a coincidence. Gillette Stadium is owned by the Kraft Group, led by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who played a central role in removing Macklemore from the remaining US dates of Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour due to the rapper’s pro-Palestine statements on stage a few weeks ago.
During his opening set at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ on September 4 and 5, Macklemore announced “Free Palestine” to the crowd and performed his 2024 protest song “Hinds Hall”. On the second night, he also spoke directly to the Jewish fans in attendance and said that his criticism of the Israeli government was not directed at them.
The Israeli-American Council launched a petition to remove him, and on September 14, tour promoter Messina Touring Group confirmed that Macklemore would no longer appear on the remaining US dates, as several NFL stadium owners reportedly threatened to pull the shows off if he remained on the bill.
Kraft confirmed his involvement in a statement the same day, saying that while he believed a line on anti-Semitism had been crossed, he felt a responsibility to speak out, while acknowledging that Palestinian suffering is real.
Sheeran said in a statement the following day that the removal was the promoter’s decision, not his, and that he had spoken directly to Craft while trying to find a solution.
The result was fast. Fellow openers Finneas, Aaron Rowe and Lucas Graham walked out of the tour in a show of solidarity, as did Irish folk band Beoga, who was performing with Sheeran, while Macklemore responded with a lengthy Instagram post detailing the money, brand deals, festivals and private shows he says his advocacy cost him.
He later pledged $1 million from his tour earnings to Palestinian aid organizations and announced a free Palestine tour – a short European tour to Dublin, Paris and London from October 26 to 30 – which he said sold out immediately.
Sheeran ultimately never arrived in Foxboro: his two Gillette Stadium dates the previous weekend were canceled due to severe weather conditions – despite the tour bowing to the demands of the venue’s owners.
Brian has rarely shied away from confrontation with powerful figures. In October 2025, a teaser of her song “Bad News” – which references ICE raids – drew public criticism from the Department of Homeland Security and the White House, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem saying at the time that she was disappointed by the clip. Bryan pushed back at the time, arguing that the song speaks to both sides of the aisle and urging fans not to let social media narratives divide them. This track eventually appeared on their album with heaven on topReleased on 9 January 2026.
Bryan is due to return to Gillette Stadium for the second night of his Foxboro stand on Saturday (Oct. 3) – and all eyes will be on whether the shirt makes another appearance, and whether Kraft, who has yet to respond publicly, takes any action. Representatives for Kraft did not immediately respond to requests for comment.