It was another blow for Donald Trump as Vanilla Ice’s performance at Freedom 250’s Great American State Fair was canceled at the last minute due to heavy rainfall
04:37 ET, 27 Jun 2026Updated 04:37 ET, 27 Jun 2026
Vanilla Ice didn’t get to perform(Image: Getty Images)
Vanilla Ice told fans to get ready for a party just hours before his Freedom 250 concert was canceled.
The 58-year-old, whose real name is Robert Matthew Van Winkle, was scheduled to perform at the Donald Trump-backed Great American State Fair on Friday, June 26. Less than two hours before showtime, organizers canceled the concert as heavy rainfall swept across Washington, D.C.
Just hours before the cancelation, however, Vanilla Ice had taken to Instagram to encourage fans to “put your dance shoes on.” He also said it was an “honor” to have been chosen to perform at the Trump event.
Speaking in a video posted on social media, the rapper spoke into a gold microphone and said, “Here we are, man. We got the monument right there, we’re about to have a great party tonight. This is going to be epic.”
He then panned the camera around to show an empty field where the crowd would stand. Vanilla Ice said, “You can see it, look here, I’ll give you a big panoramic view. It’s gonna be good tonight.”
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Concluding the video, Vanilla Ice told fans, “Put your dancing shoes on, we’re all teenagers, let’s go!” In the caption, he wrote, “Once in a lifetime, happy birthday America. Put your dance shoes on. We’re all gonna come together and be teenagers for the night.”
Fans were excited for the performance, but were left disappointed when it was called off at the last minute. “Did this get rescheduled? I was so bummed to get down there tonight and everything being closed!” one person asked in the comments of Vanilla Ice’s video.
Another person added a laughing face emoji and asked, “How was the concert?!” after news of the cancelation went viral online. “I’m embarrassed for you Robert,” a third critic admitted.
Rain fell over the main stage at the Great American State Fair(Image: Jorge Solis)
Vanilla Ice was supposed to perform at the Great American State Fair as part of its I Love the 90s event on Friday. It was called off due to bad weather conditions. A reporter for The Mirror US spoke with one festival employee, a Safety Ambassador named Joe, who said, “We are not opening this up until tomorrow.”
When asked if the show would be postponed, the employee explained, “It looks like the event is canceled today, yes, for weather conditions.” They added, “I don’t know any other information besides that we are closing and we will not be opening back up today.”
Heavy rain fell around 5 p.m. in Washington, D.C., just a few hours before Vanilla Ice was scheduled to perform at 7 p.m. During the event, a billboard announced a “special weather statement,” which warned attendees of a “severe thunderstorm approaching.” Those at the festival were advised to “take appropriate precautions” as conditions worsened.