The Rock The Country music festival co-founded by Kid Rock has canceled its Anderson, South Carolina stop after a wave of performers withdrew from the lineup, organizers and county officials confirmed.
The two-day event, scheduled for July 25–26, 2026 at the Anderson Sports & Entertainment Center, will no longer take place, a decision announced by Anderson County after several artists peeled off the roster in recent weeks.
The cancellation follows a string of high-profile departures from the festival originally planned as part of an eight-city summer tour. Rock The Country — billed as a celebration of music and American heritage tied to America’s 250th anniversary — has seen notable acts step away.
Among those leaving the lineup:
- Shinedown, who publicly said they didn’t want to be associated with something they believed would “create further division.”
- Ludacris, whose representatives said his name was added by mistake and he was never intended to be part of the bill.
- Morgan Wade and Carter Faith, both of whom quietly exited the lineup without offering public reasons.
- Creed, whose name observers noticed had been removed from updated festival posters and promotional materials.
With Shinedown and Creed both set to co-headline the Anderson stop alongside the festival’s namesake, their departures left local officials without the marquee draws needed to support the event.
Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns said authorities were informed of the cancellation on February 5, but that no detailed explanation for the lineup meltdown was provided. Burns told local media that such changes “happen in the business” and noted that the festival had enjoyed successful runs in previous years.
“We had a good, two-year run,” he said, signaling disappointment but also resignation in the face of the developments.
Observers and fans have widely noted that Rock The Country became entangled in controversy early in its 2026 rollout, partly because of its close association with Kid Rock — a high-profile supporter of conservative causes — and his recent involvement in Turning Point USA’s All-American Super Bowl halftime show.
Some artists appear to have pulled out amid concerns over political overtones attached to the festival’s branding and lineup, while others were removed quietly or attributed their departures to administrative mix-ups.
At this point, only the South Carolina stop has been officially canceled. The broader Rock The Country tour — featuring other scheduled dates in states including Texas, Georgia, South Dakota, Kentucky, Florida, and New York — remains listed on promotional materials, with performers such as Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Jelly Roll, Miranda Lambert, and Lynyrd Skynyrd still attached to various dates across the summer.
The lineup instability raises questions about the festival’s future viability and whether additional cancellations or reshuffles are forthcoming.
