FOXBOROUGH — Zach Bryan wore a shirt reading "Free Palestine" and "An appeal to heaven" with a pine tree logo during his concert at Gillette Stadium on Friday. The country musician's band members also displayed pro-Palestine apparel during the performance.

Bryan's drummer Nate Head wore a jersey with "Palestine" on the front and "Hind Rajab" with the number 5 on the back. Guitarist Noah Le Gros wore a green Palestine soccer jersey and posed in front of a Kraft Sports & Entertainment sign backstage. Hind Rajab was a 5-year-old girl in Gaza reported killed by Israeli military tank fire on January 24, 2024.

The phrase "An appeal to heaven" dates back to the Revolutionary War and appeared on the official maritime flag of Massachusetts until 1971. Bryan served in the U.S. Navy for eight years, from 2013 to 2021, as an aviation ordnanceman, completing tours in Djibouti and Bahrain before being honorably discharged. His song 'Bad News,' released earlier in 2026, contained lyrics criticizing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and addressed issues of immigration and border control. Bryan is scheduled to perform a second concert at Gillette Stadium on Saturday night.

Timeline

Macklemore was removed from Ed Sheeran's tour after making pro-Palestinian remarks at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 4, 2026, leading to a broader industry backlash and the withdrawal of other opening acts in solidarity.

Zach Bryan's drummer Nate Head wore a jersey with "Palestine" on the front and "Hind Rajab" with the number 5 on the back. Zach Bryan's guitarist Noah Le Gros wore a green Palestine soccer jersey. Noah Le Gros posed in front of a Kraft Sports & Entertainment sign backstage. Zach Bryan is scheduled to perform a second concert at Gillette Stadium on Saturday night.

What's New

Kraft stated that based on Macklemore’s recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran’s shows in New Jersey, and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community, we determined that his participation would cross that line.

Gillette Stadium, owned by Robert Kraft's Kraft Sports & Entertainment (KSE), has a history of hosting high-profile concerts and events, including multiple performances by major artists such as Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, and Bruce Springsteen. Kraft, whose company owns Gillette Stadium, had previously taken issue with Macklemore's comments, stating that Gillette Stadium has a longstanding commitment to providing a welcoming environment for all guests and ensuring that events held at our venue do not provide a platform for hate speech.

Ed Sheeran's September 2026 tour at Gillette Stadium was canceled due to a nor'easter storm, which caused significant damage along the East Coast and led to the postponement of multiple events. Macklemore's performance at MetLife Stadium led to him being removed from Ed Sheeran's tour, as venue owners, led by Robert Kraft, threatened to pull the shows if he remained on the bill. Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium, has been involved in multiple controversies over the past decade regarding political expression at events hosted at his venues, including decisions to ban performers based on their public statements.

Why It Matters

The display of pro-Palestine apparel at Gillette Stadium follows a recent incident where Robert Kraft barred Macklemore from opening for Ed Sheeran at the same venue. Kraft made the decision after Macklemore made pro-Palestinian comments at a concert in New Jersey, stating that the rapper's participation would cross a line due to rhetoric deemed offensive to the Jewish community.

Macklemore responded by stating that antisemitism is real but argued that criticizing Israel and saying "Free Palestine" should not be conflated with Jewish hate. All other supporting acts for Ed Sheeran's tour withdrew in solidarity with Macklemore. Ed Sheeran stated, "I’ve never wanted to be an activist musician, but this has put me in the middle of an important and passionate argument about freedom of speech and the most complex political issue on the planet." The concerts at Gillette Stadium scheduled for September 25 and 26 were ultimately canceled due to a nor'easter.