Zach Bryan set a new attendance record at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, drawing 73,538 fans for the second of his two shows at the Robert Kraft-owned venue.
The Grammy winner reached the milestone during a stop on his With Heaven on Tour. He also returned to the stage wearing a “Free Palestine” shirt, repeating the message he displayed during his first Gillette Stadium performance on Friday.
Gillette Stadium confirmed the record on Instagram, writing: “Tonight, Zach Bryan broke the Gillette Stadium attendance record with 73,538 fans!”
The achievement gave Bryan the largest turnout in the venue’s history, with the crowd surpassing 73,000 people. It also placed his choice of stage attire in the spotlight for a second consecutive night.
Bryan’s shirt follows dispute involving Ed Sheeran and Macklemore
Bryan’s Gillette Stadium appearances came after Kraft and other venue owners pressured Ed Sheeran to remove Macklemore from Sheeran’s tour because of Macklemore’s outspoken support for Palestinians.
Sheeran dropped Macklemore from the tour last month following an outcry over the planned opener’s “Free Palestine” comments onstage. Sheeran, who opted to remain publicly neutral on the issue, later issued a statement describing Macklemore’s removal as the “promoter’s decision.”
That statement followed Kraft’s effort to assemble several venues on the tour and present Sheeran with an ultimatum. After Sheeran addressed the decision, fellow opening acts Finneas, Aaron Rowe and Lukas Graham withdrew from the tour. Sheeran’s backing band, Beoga, also pulled out.
Sheeran had been scheduled to perform at Gillette Stadium last weekend, but the shows were canceled as a nor’easter headed toward Boston. The cancellations came despite Sheeran having agreed to Kraft’s demand concerning Macklemore.
Against that backdrop, Bryan wore his “Free Palestine” shirt during Friday’s first Gillette Stadium concert and appeared in it again during Saturday’s record-setting performance.
Macklemore moves ahead with Free Palestine Tour
Macklemore, meanwhile, announced his own Free Palestine Tour last week. The run is described as “supporting the Palestinian people and movement” and is scheduled for Oct. 26 through Oct. 30 in Dublin, Paris and London.
He subsequently shared an update saying the tour “sold out immediately.”
For Bryan, Saturday’s concert combined a landmark commercial showing with a visible public message: 73,538 people filled Gillette Stadium as he broke the venue’s attendance record while once again wearing the “Free Palestine” shirt.