Zach Bryan Sets Attendance Record at Gillette Stadium While Sporting “Free Palestine” Shirt

Zach Bryan set a new attendance benchmark during his performances at Gillette Stadium while appearing on stage in a “Free Palestine” shirt, just weeks after Macklemore was removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour lineup ahead of scheduled shows at the Robert Kraft-owned venue due to his pro-Palestine remarks.

Bryan wore the activist apparel for both Friday and Saturday night dates on his With Heaven On Tour. Despite the visibility of the message, he reportedly did not address the shirt or discuss the conflict further during his sets.

“Tonight, Zach Bryan broke the Gillette Stadium attendance record with 73,538 fans!” Gillette Stadium announced on Saturday through its official Instagram account.

The Hollywood Reporter previously reached out to Kraft’s rep for comment.

The appearance of Bryan’s shirt coincides with the controversy surrounding Macklemore, who was dropped as an opener for Sheeran’s Loop Tour last month following significant attention drawn by his pro-Palestine speeches during performances. At that time, tour promoters indicated that host venues, including Gillette Stadium, threatened to withdraw support if Macklemore remained on the lineup.

In reaction to being dismissed from the tour, Macklemore claimed Kraft “rallied some of the other stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.” Sheeran’s tour was originally scheduled to perform at Kraft’s Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts at the end of September, though those concerts were canceled last minute due to severe weather.

Defending his position, Kraft stated in a release that Gillette Stadium maintains a longstanding commitment to a welcoming environment where events do not serve as a platform for hate speech. He determined that Macklemore’s participation in the September 25th and 26th concerts would cross that line based on material shared from the stage during recent New Jersey shows and a broader history of rhetoric deemed deeply offensive to the Jewish community.

Macklemore subsequently invited Kraft to match his $1 million donation in support of Palestinian people. The Patriots owner responded by announcing plans to commit $2 million to aid relief efforts in the region amidst the humanitarian crisis.

Sheeran previously released a detailed statement regarding the situation, clarifying that the decision to remove Macklemore belonged to the promoter rather than himself, as the rapper’s contract was tied to the promoter.

The singer further noted that he had spent the week speaking with venues and engaging in direct talks with promoters and activists on both sides to seek a mutual resolution, though he acknowledged the venue’s and promoter’s finality in the matter.

During his Sept. 19 concert at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Stadium, Sheeran addressed the criticism directly, telling the crowd he aims to keep his career free from political commentary so that his music represents unity rather than division.

“But, this is a humanitarian issue, and I cannot hide how I feel about it anymore,” he continued. “What happened in Israel and at the Nova Music Festival on October 7th was horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain. What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and unjustifiable, and disproportionate,” the artist added.

As fallout from the controversy continued, Finneas, Danish pop group Lukas Graham, and Irish singer Aaron Rowe, all slated to open for Sheeran, also withdrew from the tour in solidarity with Macklemore.

The rapper later launched his own “Free Palestine” Tour, reporting last week that all three scheduled shows sold out immediately.

Source link