Country singer Zach Bryan drew attention during his Gillette Stadium concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts, after wearing a shirt that read “Free Palestine.”
Bryan wore the black shirt during his first show at the venue on October 2. Fan-recorded footage quickly spread across social media. Bryan did not discuss the shirt from the stage.
The concert also attracted attention because of the venue’s connection to Robert Kraft. The Kraft Group owns Gillette Stadium.
The moment came shortly after a dispute involving rapper Macklemore and Ed Sheeran’s US tour.
Connection to Macklemore
Bryan’s appearance gained extra attention because of the recent Macklemore controversy.
Macklemore performed as an opening act on Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour. During shows at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, he made pro-Palestinian comments and performed his protest song “Hind’s Hall.”
The tour later removed Macklemore from its remaining US dates. Robert Kraft also said Macklemore would not perform at Gillette Stadium.
Kraft said the decision followed Macklemore’s recent actions and what he described as a history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery.
Macklemore rejected the idea that criticism of Israel and support for Palestinians should equal antisemitism.
The dispute also led several other artists to leave Sheeran’s tour.
Reactions follow concert
Bryan’s appearance quickly sparked discussion online, with reactions coming from both supporters and critics after images from the concert circulated on social media.
The concert was the first of two scheduled performances by Bryan at Gillette Stadium as part of his With Heaven on Tour.
While Bryan did not make a speech on the issue during the show, his decision to wear the shirt placed the concert in the wider conversation surrounding artists’ public expressions about the Israel-Hamas conflict, a subject that has generated significant debate throughout the music industry in recent months.
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