Kid Rock‘s Rock the Country competition simply misplaced its South Carolina cease after a wave of artists bailed on the MAGA-friendly occasion.

The Anderson County present scheduled for July 25 and 26 received axed after too many performers dropped out. County administrator Rusty Burns confirmed the cancellation to music-festival-pulls-stop-anderson-schedule/”>Fox Carolina.

“Anderson County has been proud to host Rock the Country for the past two years,” Burns stated. “The event was a huge success drawing tens of thousands of visitors, making a multi-million-dollar economic impact on the Upstate.”

The competition payments itself as celebrating 250 years of American freedom. Critics name it a MAGA fest due to Kid Rock and his loud Trump help.

Ludacris was the primary huge title to leap ship. His team told AllHipHop he was never supposed to perform there. Shinedown delivered the ultimate blow with a public assertion.

“Shinedown is everyone’s band,” they stated. “We feel that we have been given a platform to bring all people together through the power of music and song.”

The rock band added, “Our band’s purpose is to unite, not divide. With that in mind, we have made the decision that we will not be playing the Rock The Country Festival.”

Shinedown stated they “do not want to participate in something we believe will create further division.”

Creed, Morgan Wade and Carter Faith additionally quietly dropped off the invoice with out public statements. The unique Anderson lineup featured Jason Aldean, Brantley Gilbert, Gretchen Wilson, Parmalee, Chase Matthew, Lakeview and Fox N’ Vead alongside the departed acts.

The New York Times known as Rock the Country “a vision of the MAGA movement in pure party mode” when protecting the 2024 model. They stated it felt like Trump rallies with out Trump displaying up.

Last yr, Trump himself launched Kid Rock’s set by way of video message. “Fight, fight, fight, win, win, win, for the American people,” Trump stated.

Country artist Gavin Adcock went on a Biden rant on the 2024 competition. “F### you Joe Biden, you c########## m###########,” he shouted onstage.

The 2026 tour nonetheless has seven different stops deliberate throughout eight states from May by way of September. Kid Rock, Jelly Roll, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Brooks & Dunn, Riley Green, Hank Williams Jr., Ella Langley and Lynyrd Skynyrd stay on the lineup.

Nelly stayed on the tour regardless of the controversy. He carried out at Trump’s 2025 inauguration and defended it by citing his army household background.

“I was born in a military base in Austin. My father served, my grandfather served, my uncle served, my auntie served,” Nelly stated. “If these people can give their life for the office, Nelly can perform for it.”

Rock the Country launches its 2026 run May 1-2 in Belleville, Texas.

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