Kid Rock’s ‘Rock the Country’ festival axed in South Carolina after artist dropouts | indy100

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Kid Rock's country festival 'Rock the Country' has been cancelled in South Carolina after multiple artists dropped out.

The MAGA-friendly fest was set to run from May to September with the final gig in Hamburg, NY. Two of those days (25 and 26 July) were scheduled for Anderson, South Carolina.

However, the county administrator, Rusty Burns, has now confirmed it won't be returning in 2026.

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

"An event of this calibre 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."

He continued: "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."

Rock the Country

The original Anderson lineup featured the likes of Rock himself and Jason Aldean as headliners, along with Ludacris, Creed, Chase Matthew, Shinedown, Brantley Gilbert, Gretchen Wilson, Parmalee, Morgan Wade, Lakeview, Fox N’ Vead, and more.

The band Shinedown has since dropped out, saying their purpose 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," they wrote on social media. "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."

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

Weeks prior, Ludacris also pulled out of the festival with a representative telling Rolling Stone that his inclusion was "a mix-up. Lines got crossed, and he wasn’t supposed to be on there".

Morgan Wade and Carter Faith, and Creed also reportedly dropped out without comment.

Indy100 reached out to Rock the Country for comment

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