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Last week saw the cancellation of one of the planned stops of the annual ‘Rock The Country‘ festival. Originally booked to hit 8 cities, this year’s run of the divisive event was forced to scrap it July dates in Anderson, SC. While Kid Rock has served as the face of the festival to an extent over the past two years, the diamond-certified rap-rock/country star was not scheduled to appear at either of the canceled dates.

Instead, radio rock titans Creed were booked to close out the July 25th stop, while multi-platinum hard rockers Shinedown were scheduled to headline the July 26th date. The cancelation followed shortly after Shinedown‘s decision to exit the bill last week, a decision made in light of the band facing significant backlash for signing on to play the fest.

Shinedown stated in part of their exit:

“We have one BOSS, and it is everyone in the audience. 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‘s decision to pull out of the festival followed their own drummer Barry Kerch‘s for doing the very same thing a few weeks prior. Both Ludacris and country singer Morgan Wade were originally announced for the now ill-fated Anderson, SC stop of the touring festival, and each had separately withdrew from the event well ahead of Shinedown‘s departure. In light of Ludacris & Morgan Wade departing, both Staind and Skillet had been added to separate dates of the Anderson stop.

The ‘Rock The Country‘ festival has become a lightning rod for controversy over its often conservative-leaning roster of talent and the messaging associated with the fest. For context, last year’s run of ‘Rock The Country‘ saw organizers offer the following mission statement of sorts:

”Rock The Country‘ is more than a festival; it’s a movement, a gathering of hardworking, God-fearing patriots who love America and believe in the power of live music to bring people together. Here, the beer flows, the love pours, and the music rains down like a monsoon. Are you ready to stand with We The People and experience the force of live music?’

Upon announcing this year’s edition of the festival this past January, Kid Rock stated of the festival:

“It’s this simple. ‘Rock The Country‘ isn’t just a music festival; it’s a movement. In 2026, as America celebrates its 250th anniversary, this is a place for hard-working, God-fearing patriots to gather as one and celebrate freedom, music, and the party of the year.”

In a newly issued statement shared today, February 09th, the festival’s organizers addressed the cancelation of the Anderson, SC stops. In it they lamented the situation, while putting forth that the festival was, ‘created to unite people together through music.’ That statement also pushed back against criticism of the patriotic messaging that has often been associated with the festival.

”Rock The Country‘ was created to unite people together through music. Our lineups and our crowds reflect that sentiment a wide range of voices, backgrounds, and stories that make up this country.

We’re truly disappointed we won’t be bringing the show to Anderson. Our fans work hard for their money, and we refuse to put on a show that doesn’t meet the standard they deserve.

Our focus remains where it’s always been: supporting our artists, honoring our fans, and delivering unforgettable nights throughout the country. The shows ahead represent the heart of what ‘Rock The Country’ stands for: music, community, and pride in where we come from.

Loving America isn’t political; it’s who we are.’

Outside of Kid Rock, this year’s ‘Rock The Country‘ is set to feature various outspoken supporters of U.S. President Donald J. Trump and the current U.S. administration, including Jason Aldean, Staind‘s Aaron Lewis and more. Blake Shelton, Jelly Roll, Lynyrd Skynyrd and numerous others will also be playing, including Asking Alexandria vocalist Danny Worsnop. Dates for the festival include:

05/01-02 Bellville, TX – Austin County Fairgrounds05/29-30 Bloomingdale, GA – Ottawa Farms06/27-28 Sioux Falls, SD – W.H. Fairgrounds07/10-11 Ashland, KY – Boyd County Fairgrounds08/08-09 Hastings, MI – Barry Expo Center08/28-29 Ocala, FL – Florida Horsepark09/11-12 Hamburg, NY – Erie County Fairgrounds

Further info can be found over at rockthecountry.com.

Days after Shinedown pulled out of the Rock the Country festival, the Kid Rock-led music event canceled its show in South Carolina.

The festival, originally scheduled to be held in Anderson, South Carolina, on July 25 and July 26, was reportedly canceled due to "unforeseen circumstances," according to Fox Carolina.

"Anderson County has been proud to host Rock the Country for the past two years," the Anderson County administrator, Rusty Burns, said in a statement to Fox Carolina. "The event was a huge success drawing tens of thousands of visitors, making a multimillion-dollar economic impact on the Upstate. An event of this caliber proved what a great venue and exceptional hospitality we have here in Anderson County. Of course, we are disappointed that Rock the Country will not return to Anderson this year."

"We are already planning additional major events and look forward to exciting announcements to come. Anderson County is committed to bringing high quality arts and entertainment to our community."

According to the festival's website, the lineups vary by city.

The Anderson, South Carolina, lineup had Kid Rock and Jason Aldean headlining and also featured Creed, Shinedown, Brantley Gilbert, Ludacris, Gretchen Wilson, Parmalee, Morgan Wade, Chase Matthew, Lakeview, Fox N’ Vead, and more, Fox Carolina reported.

On Friday, Shinedown took to X to announce their sudden exit from the festival, which is being touted as "a celebration of community, tradition, and the spirit that’s carried America through 250 years," explaining that their mission as a band is to "unite, not divide."

"Shinedown is everyone’s band. We feel that we have been given a platform to bring all people together through the power of music and song. We have one boss, and it is everyone in the audience."

"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," the statement read.

"We know this decision will create differences of opinion," Shinedown continued. "But we do not want to participate in something we believe will create further division."

Rock the Country will be traveling to various states in 2026, including Georgia, Texas, Florida and New York.

The festival is a celebration of the 250th anniversary of America's independence. According to its website, "It’s a chance to look around and appreciate the strength of our towns, the stories that shaped us, and the moments we’ll be talking about long after the lights go down."

The Kid Rock-led “Rock the Country” music festival canceled the South Carolina stop on its tour as multiple marquee artists dropped out of the “politically charged” bash.

The two-night event was scheduled to take place at the Anderson Sports & Entertainment Center in Anderson, SC, in July and feature headliners, rock bands Creed and Shinedown, country music star Brantley Gilbert and 3-time Grammy award-winning rapper Ludacris.

Additional artists included Gretchen Wilson, Morgan Wade, Lakeview, Parmalee, Chase Matthew and Fox N’ Vead.

However, Anderson County officials were notified on Thursday that the festival canceled the gig, County Administrator Rusy Burns told the Greenville Post and Courier.

The administrator declined to give a reason for the cancellation but said at least one band had issues with the festival being politically charged, according to the outlet.

Anderson County, which would have benefited economically from hosting the two-day event, was working to find performers for an unrelated concert in April.

Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert James Richie, founded the annual festival in 2024 and marketed the tour as a huge multi-state festival with stops in eight different cities, celebrating the United States’ 250th birthday.

This year’s tour was set to run from May to September 11 and 12, where the final gig would be held in Hamburg, NY.

“Rock The Country is more than just a festival, it’s a celebration of community, tradition, and the spirit that’s carried America through 250 years. It’s where neighbors become friends, families come together under the wide-open sky, and folks from every walk of life share the simple joy of great music and good company,” according to the tour’s website.

“As we honor this milestone 250th year, every song, every laugh, and every toast feels a little bigger. It’s a chance to look around and appreciate the strength of our towns, the stories that shaped us, and the moments we’ll be talking about long after the lights go down.”

Shinedown, who was the top group for the July 26th show, had previously announced its decision to pull out of the event.

“Shinedown is everyone’s band. We feel that we have been given a platform to bring all people together through the power of music and song. We have one boss, and it is everyone in the audience,” the band said.

“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.”

“We know this decision will create differences of opinion,” the band said. “But we do not want to participate in something we believe will create further division.”

The group was the fourth to drop out of the gig.

Additionally, Ludacris, Wade and country singer Carter Faith had also backed out of the concert ahead of the cancellation, according to the Post and Courier.

Ludacris, whose real name is Christopher Brian Bridges, was named as one of the headliners but claimed there was a “mix-up” after the announcement.

The Kid Rock–backed Rock the Country festival is no longer moving forward in South Carolina, after a wave of artist withdrawals effectively collapsed one of its scheduled tour stops.

Anderson County, South Carolina, officials confirmed to that the two-day concert planned for July 25–26, 2026, at the Anderson Sports and Entertainment Center has been canceled.

County administrator Rusty Burns said officials were notified on the night of February 5 but were not given a specific explanation for the decision.

“We weren’t told a reason,” Burns said. “It happens in the business. We had a good, two-year run.”

The festival was part of a larger, eight-date summer series launched by Kid Rock, with additional headline support from Jason Aldean and other major acts.

While the Anderson, SC, stop has been removed entirely, several other cities remain listed on the tour schedule, including Ocala, Florida; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; and Hamburg, New York.

The cancellation follows a rapid series of artist exits. On Feb. 6, Shinedown publicly announced it would no longer participate, citing concerns about division tied to the event.

“SHINEDOWN is everyone’s band,” the group wrote in a statement shared on X. “Our band’s purpose is to unite, not divide. We do not want to participate in something we believe will create further division.”

Shinedown’s exit came after several artists quietly stepped away in recent weeks, including Morgan Wade, Carter Faith, and Ludacris, each of whom faced online backlash following their initial involvement.

Creed, which had been promoted as a featured act at the Anderson date, was also removed from the festival’s website ahead of the cancellation announcement.

Despite the shakeup, the tour’s remaining promotional materials still list Kid Rock, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Jelly Roll, and Brooks & Dunn among the artists attached to other stops.

The Anderson festival was projected to bring a significant economic boost to the region. County officials previously estimated that last year’s Rock the Country event drew roughly 25,000 attendees and generated about $17 million statewide.

Burns acknowledged the loss but said the county is already shifting focus to booking new concerts later this year. “The last two events showed we can host large-scale shows successfully,” he said.

Originally marketed as a patriotic celebration tied to America’s upcoming 250th anniversary, Rock the Country has drawn attention for its cultural positioning as much as its lineup.