At Gillette Stadium — the Venue That Banned Macklemore — Zach Bryan Took the Stage Wearing a "Free Palestine" T-Shirt

Same venue, different story. On the night of October 2, Zach Bryan took the stage at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, walking out with his bandmates all wearing black "Free Palestine" T-shirts. It was the first of two local shows on his "With Heaven On Tour," and the venue is owned by none other than New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft — the very man who, just weeks earlier, personally blocked Macklemore from performing there. Gillette Stadium is held under Kraft's Kraft Group.

Back in September, Macklemore voiced support for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank while opening for Ed Sheeran's "Loop" Tour at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey — shouting "Free Palestine" and performing his protest single "Hind's Hall" alongside footage from Gaza. Groups like the Israeli-American Council subsequently called for him to be dropped from the tour, and Kraft publicly stated that the performance was "deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community," confirming that Macklemore would not be allowed to perform at Gillette Stadium.

Sheeran later clarified that he "wasn't involved" in the decision to remove Macklemore from the tour, saying he spent days trying to find a solution. The final call came from tour promoter Messina Touring, after multiple venues indicated they would cancel the shows outright if Macklemore remained on the lineup. FINNEAS, Lukas Graham, Aaron Rowe, and Beoga then withdrew from the opening lineup in solidarity, and several members of Sheeran's backing band also quit.

Macklemore then announced he would donate his entire $1 million earnings from the Sheeran tour to six organizations supporting Palestinians, and directly addressed Kraft: "Whatever else we disagree on, maybe we can agree on this — Palestinian lives are worth protecting." Kraft subsequently announced a $2 million donation toward humanitarian relief efforts. When Sheeran returned to the stage in Philadelphia on September 19, he apologized for his "missteps" in handling the controversy, revealing that the ordeal had made him question "whether he even wanted to keep being an artist."

Macklemore later announced his own "Free Palestine Tour," touring the UK and Europe with proceeds likewise donated to pro-Palestinian organizations. This week he revealed all three shows sold out, saying: "When those in power try to silence our calls for liberation, art will always be a form of resistance."

Bryan will wrap up his second sold-out show at Gillette Stadium on October 3, with the "With Heaven On Tour" concluding at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Alabama on October 10. The tour is in support of his latest album, *With Heaven On Top*, and had already taken him through stadiums across the UK and Europe earlier this year.