The Anderson County, S.C. stop of the touring festival—scheduled for July 25–26—has been canceled after a steady exodus of artists turned the lineup into something closer to a conceptual exercise than a functioning music event. Ticket holders began receiving cancellation emails last week, with county officials confirming the news shortly after.
“We are disappointed that Rock the Country will not return to Anderson this year,” said Anderson County administrator Rusty Burns, diplomatically avoiding the words implosion or collapse.
Originally, the festival promised a genre-blending celebration headlined by Creed, Shinedown, Brantley Gilbert, and Ludacris—a bill ambitious enough to suggest unity through volume alone. That vision unraveled quickly.
Shinedown became the fourth act to exit the festival, announcing their withdrawal on Friday and citing concerns that performing would “create further division.” In a statement posted to Instagram, the band emphasized that Shinedown is “everyone’s band,” explaining that their mission is to unite people—not add fuel to a cultural bonfire already well-stocked.
They followed country artists Morgan Wade and Carter Faith, who exited earlier without explanation. Ludacris, meanwhile, vanished from promotional materials altogether. A representative later clarified that the rapper was “never supposed to be on” the poster in the first place, raising questions about how exactly festival posters are assembled—and by whom.
Festival organizers attributed the South Carolina cancellation to “unforeseen circumstances,” though the timing—coming immediately after the fourth artist dropout—suggested the circumstances were, by that point, fairly foreseeable.
While Rock the Country does not explicitly brand itself as a political event, critics have pointed to its language, its partnerships, and its figurehead. The festival bills itself as “a celebration of community, tradition and the spirit of America through 250 years,” a framing that mirrors Kid Rock’s recent positioning as a cultural counterweight to mainstream pop—most notably his self-described “alternative” Super Bowl halftime show, announced in response to right-wing outrage over Bad Bunny headlining the NFL’s official broadcast.
Kid Rock, 55, has leaned into the contrast, dismissing the Puerto Rican superstar’s performance plans with a mix of competitive bravado and culture-war commentary. “He’s said he’s having a dance party, wearing a dress, and singing in Spanish? Cool,” Rock said recently. “We plan to play great songs for folks who love America.”
The festival’s turbulence also arrives amid renewed scrutiny of Kid Rock’s past lyrics following his involvement with conservative organization Turning Point USA. Social media users resurfaced lines from his 2001 track “Cool, Daddy Cool,” including a verse referencing underage girls—an awkward footnote for a performer currently headlining events framed around “faith, family and freedom.”
Kid Rock has not addressed the cancellations or the criticism directly. Instead, he shared a quote from Kobe Bryant on social media: “Learn to love the hate. Embrace it… Haters are a good problem to have. Nobody hates the good ones. They hate the great ones.”
In Anderson County, officials say they’re already planning replacement events and remain committed to bringing “high-quality arts and entertainment” to the area—presumably involving artists who both exist on the poster and intend to show up.
As for Rock the Country, the tour continues elsewhere, now with one fewer stop, several fewer artists, and a growing reputation as a festival dedicated to unity—by subtraction.
