Country singer Zach Bryan and members of his band appeared on stage at Gillette Stadium on Friday night wearing black T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase “free Palestine,” drawing attention from fans despite no mention of the message during the show. Bryan is scheduled to perform at the venue again on Saturday.

The appearance of the shirts comes weeks after rapper Macklemore was barred from performing at Gillette Stadium following pro-Palestinian remarks he made on stage at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, had called for Macklemore to be dropped as an opening act for Ed Sheeran’s tour after the incident. Subsequently, Macklemore was removed from Sheeran’s tour entirely after Kraft sought cooperation from other NFL stadium owners to ban the rapper from their venues. Sheeran’s planned concerts at Gillette Stadium were later postponed due to a storm.

Bryan, 30, hails from Oklahoma and is a Navy veteran who has gained wide acclaim in recent years for his music. He is known for incorporating political themes into his work, notably in his song “Bad News,” which criticizes the practices of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The track includes lyrics questioning immigration enforcement policies and was released prior to the deaths of two Americans reportedly killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis. The song prompted condemnation from then-Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Beyond his musical career, Bryan has engaged in cultural preservation efforts. He is involved in establishing a center in Lowell, Massachusetts, to honor the late writer Jack Kerouac. In 2025, Bryan purchased a former church in Lowell to house the proposed Jack Kerouac Center. Additionally, he acquired the 120-foot scroll manuscript of Kerouac’s 1957 novel “On the Road” at a record price, with plans to preserve and publicly display the work at the center.

The recent demonstration of support for Palestine on stage at Gillette Stadium adds to ongoing debates over political expression at major entertainment venues and highlights how artists continue to address contentious global issues in their public appearances.