More acts have dropped out of a touring festival, prompting two concert dates to be canceled.<\/p>\n
Shinedown announced Friday that it will no longer be performing at the Rock the Country festival<\/a>. They\u2019re the fourth act to officially pull out of the 2026 tour, following rapper Ludacris<\/a> and country singers Morgan Wade and Carter Faith.<\/p>\n Rock the Country quietly removed its shows scheduled for July 25 and July 26 in Anderson, South Carolina. Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns confirmed<\/a> both dates were canceled; Shinedown and Ludacris were originally scheduled to perform July 26 and Creed<\/a> was set to headline July 25 with Brantley Gilbert.<\/p>\n \u201cShinedown is everyone\u2019s band,\u201d the Brent Smith-led group said in a statement<\/a>. \u201cWe 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know this decision will create differences of opinion. But we do not want to participate in something we believe will create further division,\u201d Shinedown continued. \u201cAnd to our fans, thank you for supporting and believing in us. We love and appreciate you always.\u201d<\/p>\n Creed has not commented on the cancellation, but has been removed from the Rock the Country festival website. South Carolina was the \u201cHigher\u201d band\u2019s only stop on the tour.<\/p>\n The touring festival still has seven two-day concerts scheduled in seven different \u201csmall towns,\u201d including a Sept. 11-12 run in Hamburg, N.Y. Different stops feature a different lineup of country, rock and hip-hop artists like Kid Rock<\/a>, Jason Aldean<\/a>, Jelly Roll<\/a>, Hank Williams Jr., Brooks & Dunn, Lynyrd Skynyrd<\/a>, and Nelly<\/a>.<\/p>\n Some fans have criticized the fest over performers who openly supported President Donald Trump and MAGA\u2019s political interests. Promotional materials billed the event as \u201ccelebrating 250 years of freedom,\u201d as this year marks the 250th anniversary of America\u2019s Declaration of Independence.<\/p>\n After backlash on social media, a rep for Ludacris said he was never supposed to appear on the lineup, calling it \u201ca mix-up.\u201d Wade and Faith canceled their appearances without comment.<\/p>\n Acts scheduled to perform at the Erie County Fairgrounds in Hamburg include Hank Williams Jr., Chris Janson and Shenandoah on Sept. 11 and Kid Rock, Gavin Adcock and Nelly on Sept. 12. A mystery headliner is also expected to be added to the Sept. 11 show, but has not been announced.<\/p>\n Tickets for the Rock the Country festival are currently on sale via Ticketmaster<\/a>. Fans can also compare prices on Vivid Seats<\/a>, StubHub<\/a> and Seat Geek<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kid Rock is next scheduled to headline Turning Point USA\u2019s \u201cAll-American Halftime Show.\u201d The conservative group\u2019s alternative Super Bowl halftime show<\/a> will also feature Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett performing at the same time as Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny takes the NFL championship stage.<\/p>\n