Zach Bryan brought a visible political message to Gillette Stadium on Friday night, performing in a black shirt bearing the words “Free Palestine.” The October 2 concert was the first of two scheduled Foxborough dates on his With Heaven On Tour.
Photos and video from the show show the phrase across Bryan’s chest, along with a pine-tree graphic and the words “An Appeal to Heaven.”
TMZ and Billboard both reported on the clothing from the Foxborough performance. Bryan was joined by band members wearing Palestine-themed apparel of their own.
The Gillette Stadium, owned by Robert Kraft’s Kraft Group, had recently become part of the dispute that followed Macklemore’s pro-Palestinian remarks during Ed Sheeran’s U.S. tour.
Bryan and His Band Wore Palestine-Themed Clothing on Stage
Zach Bryan Wears ‘Free Palestine’ Shirt at Robert Kraft’s Gillette Stadium https://t.co/qt1a77hQqD
— TMZ (@TMZ) October 3, 2026
Bryan wore the message during the first night of his two-show run at Gillette. Page Six reported that the shirt paired “Free Palestine” with a pine-tree image and the phrase “An Appeal to Heaven.”
Other musicians onstage made similar clothing choices. TMZ reported that drummer Nate Head wore a Palestine jersey marked with the name “Hind Rajab” and the number 5, while guitarist Noah Le Gros appeared in a green jersey bearing the word “Palestine.”
The With Heaven On Tour schedule lists Gillette Stadium on both October 2 and October 3 before a scheduled October 10 stop at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama.
Gillette Stadium Had Recently Been at the Center of the Macklemore Dispute
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During an Ed Sheeran concert at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Macklemore said “Free Palestine” from the stage and performed “Hind’s Hall,” a protest song he released in 2024 in support of Palestinians.
Reuters reported that promoter Messina Touring Group later said owners of upcoming venues had informed the company they would refuse to host concerts with Macklemore still on the lineup. The promoter subsequently removed him from Sheeran’s remaining U.S. support dates.
Macklemore said Kraft helped rally opposition among stadium owners and told Sheeran that he could not perform at Gillette if Macklemore remained on the bill. Kraft responded that he devotes significant time to combating hate and antisemitism and felt a line had been crossed, while Macklemore rejected the assertion that his advocacy for Palestinians was antisemitic. The Patriots’ official biography identifies Gillette Stadium among Kraft Group properties.
The Macklemore Decision Extended Beyond One Stadium
Messina Touring Group told Reuters that owners of multiple upcoming stadiums had objected to Macklemore remaining on the tour, making Kraft one prominent participant in a broader conflict over the lineup.
Sheeran later described the final removal decision as the promoter’s and said he had spent the week talking with venues in an effort to find a solution.
During his September 19 show in Philadelphia, he also addressed the underlying political dispute directly, condemning the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack in Israel while describing conditions in Gaza as “catastrophic and unjustifiable,” according to the Associated Press.
Sheeran told the Philadelphia audience that the episode had drawn him into a debate about politics and freedom of expression at concerts. AP also reported that he raised concerns about venues preapproving what performers could say onstage.