Key Takeaways
- Record Attendance: Zach Bryan set a new attendance record at Gillette Stadium with 73,538 fans.
- Political Statement: Bryan wore a “Free Palestine” shirt during his performance, sparking discussions.
- Venue Capacity: Gillette Stadium’s standard capacity is 64,628, but configurations can vary for events.
- Controversy Context: The incident follows recent tensions regarding artists’ political expressions in concerts.
Zach Bryan has set a new attendance record at Gillette Stadium.
On Saturday (Oct. 3), the 30-year-old country star broke the attendance record at the Foxborough, Mass., venue during the second of his back-to-back shows on his With Heaven on Tour.
“Tonight, Zach Bryan broke the Gillette Stadium attendance record with 73,538 fans!” Gillette Stadium wrote on Instagram, alongside a handful of crowd shots from the show.
Gillette Stadium lists its capacity at 64,628, though seating configurations can vary for concerts and other events, according to the venue’s website.
Bryan drew headlines after his opening night at the Kraft Group-owned venue on Friday (Oct. 2), when he wore a black T-shirt reading “Free Palestine.”
Members of Bryan’s band were also spotted wearing matching shirts, according to TMZ. The “I Remember Everything” singer did not address the shirts during the performances.
Bryan’s decision to wear the “Free Palestine” shirt comes weeks after Macklemore was removed from the remaining U.S. dates of Ed Sheeran’s Loop Tour following pro-Palestinian remarks he made during his Sept. 4 and 5 concerts at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
The removal followed calls for Macklemore to be dropped from the tour, including a petition from the Israeli-American Council. Tour promoter Messina Touring Group later said multiple venues had indicated they would not allow Macklemore to perform.
Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, also addressed the controversy, saying he felt a responsibility to speak up when he believed a line had been crossed on antisemitism while acknowledging that Palestinian suffering is real.
Sheeran’s Loop Tour was originally scheduled to stop at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 25 and 26, but both Foxborough shows were canceled due to severe weather.
This isn’t the first time Bryan has addressed politics through his music. In October 2025, a teaser for his song “Bad News,” which references ICE raids, drew criticism from the Department of Homeland Security and the White House. Bryan pushed back, saying the song spoke to both sides of the political aisle and urging fans not to let social media divide them. The song was later included on his album With Heaven on Top, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in January.
Check out Gillette Stadium’s Instagram post about Bryan’s new attendance record here.
