Kid Rock's Rock the Country festival canceled in South Carolina after Shinedown pulls out over unity concerns

Days after Shinedown pulled out of the Rock the Country festival, the Kid Rock-led music event canceled its show in South Carolina. 

The festival, originally scheduled to be held in Anderson, South Carolina, on July 25 and July 26, was reportedly canceled due to "unforeseen circumstances," according to Fox Carolina. 

"Anderson County has been proud to host Rock the Country for the past two years," the Anderson County administrator, Rusty Burns, said in a statement to Fox Carolina. "The event was a huge success drawing tens of thousands of visitors, making a multimillion-dollar economic impact on the Upstate. An event of this caliber 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."

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"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."

According to the festival's website, the lineups vary by city. 

The Anderson, South Carolina, lineup had Kid Rock and Jason Aldean headlining and also featured Creed, Shinedown, Brantley Gilbert, Ludacris, Gretchen Wilson, Parmalee, Morgan Wade, Chase Matthew, Lakeview, Fox N' Vead, and more, Fox Carolina reported.

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On Friday, Shinedown took to X to announce their sudden exit from the festival, which is being touted as "a celebration of community, tradition, and the spirit that's carried America through 250 years," explaining that their mission as a band 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. 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," the statement read.

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

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Rock the Country will be traveling to various states in 2026, including Georgia, Texas, Florida and New York. 

The festival is a celebration of the 250th anniversary of America's independence. According to its website, "It's a chance to look around and appreciate the strength of our towns, the stories that shaped us, and the moments we'll be talking about long after the lights go down."