Zach Bryan wears Palestinian solidarity shirt at Gillette amid Macklemore ban

Developed over time first seen 5 days ago

Rolling Stone · 5 days ago

Zach Bryan wore a “Free Palestine” shirt during the first of two shows at Gillette Stadium, drawing attention to owner Robert Kraft’s decision to bar Macklemore from the venue. Macklemore had said Kraft pressured Ed Sheeran to remove him from Sheeran’s stadium tour after his pro-Palestinian remarks and performance in New Jersey.

Kraft confirmed the Gillette ban, citing Macklemore’s onstage actions, but did not address the claim that he contacted other stadium owners. Macklemore had expressed solidarity with Palestinians and performed “Hind’s Hall”; artists supporting Sheeran withdrew from the stadium dates. Macklemore later announced his own Free Palestine Tour had sold out, while Bryan was scheduled to return to Gillette for a second show.

Zach Bryan wore a “Free Palestine” shirt at Gillette Stadium.
The gesture followed Robert Kraft’s ban on Macklemore.
Macklemore said his own Free Palestine Tour sold out.

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Rapper Macklemore performed at an Ed Sheeran concert in early September, where he expressed public support for Palestine by displaying conflict imagery and performing a protest song. His activism prompted backlash from pro-Israel advocacy groups.

Robert Kraft, owner of Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, responded by banning Macklemore from performing at his venue and removing him from the remainder of Ed Sheeran's stadium tour. Several other touring artists, including producer Finneas, announced they would withdraw from Kraft-affiliated events in protest.

The incident has highlighted tensions within the entertainment industry over how artists should handle activism relating to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The dispute reflects differing views amongst artists, venue owners and advocacy groups about free expression and which performers should be permitted to perform.

Both sides, in good faith

The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.

The case for

Artists should retain freedom to speak on matters of documented humanitarian concern, and Gaza represents a civilian crisis deserving of public advocacy. Restricting such speech based on business relationships or political pressure effectively suppresses legitimate voices on international injustice, setting a concerning precedent for which causes remain speakable. The activism concerned civilian suffering rather than hostility toward particular groups, and subsequent commercial success indicates substantial public sympathy for these concerns.

The case against

Venue owners have legitimate rights to control their properties and avoid becoming platforms for partisan activism on issues where reasonable people profoundly disagree about the underlying conflict. The Israel-Palestine situation involves genuinely contested narratives and legitimate concerns on multiple sides; commercial venues can reasonably maintain neutrality rather than amplifying particular political perspectives. Kraft's decision did not silence these artists, who retained other platforms and subsequently toured successfully, but rather protected his business from becoming a flashpoint for contentious geopolitical activism.

Full account

Country singer Zach Bryan wore a shirt bearing the phrase 'Free Palestine' during his first performance at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, in what appeared to be a deliberate response to the venue's owner Robert Kraft, who had recently orchestrated the removal of rapper Macklemore from a high-profile touring engagement.

The underlying controversy emerged in early September when Macklemore performed as part of Ed Sheeran's touring schedule at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. During that performance, Macklemore declared his support for Palestine, displayed video footage from Gaza, and performed his composition 'Hind's Hall,' which addresses student activism supporting Palestine. The performance generated significant backlash from pro-Israel organisations. Robert Kraft, proprietor of both the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, subsequently announced his decision to bar Macklemore from performing at the venue. Macklemore alleged that Kraft had persuaded other stadium operators to exert similar pressure on Sheeran, effectively forcing the removal.

Kraft's public statement confirmed his role in excluding Macklemore but did not directly address allegations that he had coordinated with other venue operators. He characterised his decision as necessary to prevent hate speech, citing not only the statements made during Sheeran's performances but also what he described as a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery. The controversy triggered substantial artistic solidarity with Macklemore, as scheduled opening performers—Finneas, Lukas Graham, and Aaron Rowe—announced their withdrawal from the tour. Ed Sheeran clarified that the decision to remove Macklemore had originated with the tour promoter rather than himself.

Bryan's performance at Gillette Stadium formed part of his With Heaven On Tour, with a second consecutive evening scheduled at the same venue. Reports indicated that the singer did not elaborate on his sartorial statement during the show, though members of his band also displayed Palestine-themed apparel. The incident underscored ongoing tensions between artists seeking to voice political positions and venue owners' commercial and ideological considerations. Macklemore subsequently unveiled his own touring schedule, branded the Free Palestine Tour, following his removal from Sheeran's dates.

Where outlets differ

Source 2 includes Kraft's justification citing antisemitic rhetoric and imagery as grounds for exclusion; Source 1 does not include this rationale

Source 2 quotes Ed Sheeran stating the removal decision originated with the tour promoter; Source 1 does not feature this statement

Source 2 explicitly notes Bryan did not provide onstage commentary regarding the shirt; Source 1 does not address this

Source 2 reports that band members wore Palestine-branded clothing; Source 1 makes no mention of this

Source 2 documents Macklemore's social media response to Bryan's shirt; Source 1 does not reference this

Source 1 provides more comprehensive quotations from artists withdrawing in solidarity; Source 2 covers this withdrawal less thoroughly

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Originally published by Rolling Stone as “Zach Bryan Wears ‘Free Palestine’ Shirt at Gillette After Owner Robert Kraft Banned Macklemore”.