Shinedown is the latest musical act who will no longer perform at the 2026 Rock the Country Festival.
“Shinedown is everyone’s band. We feel that we have been given a platform to bring all people together through the power and music and song,” the group wrote in a Friday, February 6, X statement. “We have one BOSS, and it is everyone in the audience. Our band’s purpose is to unite, not divide.”
The statement continued, “With that in mind, we have made the decision that we will not be playing the Rock the Country Festival. We know this decision will create differences of opinion, but we do not want to participate in something we believe will create further division.”
Shinedown — comprised of Brent Smith, Zach Myers, Barry Kerch, Eric Bass and Jasin Todd — further thanked their fans for “supporting and believing in” them.
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Rock the Country is an annual music festival, consisting of an eight-city tour with a slate of popular rock and country artists.
“Rock The Country is more than just a festival, it’s a celebration of community, tradition, and the spirit that’s carried America through 250 years,” a website description reads. “It’s where neighbors become friends, families come together under the wide-open sky, and folks from every walk of life share the simple joy of great music and good company.”
The statement added, “As we honor this milestone 250th year, every song, every laugh and every toast feels a little bigger. 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.”
Rock The Country will run from May to September, featuring headlining sets from Kid Rock, Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Jelly Roll, Brooks & Dunn, Miranda Lambert and Nelly. While Ludacris, Carter Faith and Morgan Wade were also initially included on the show lineup, they’ve all since dropped out.
“Lines got crossed, and he wasn’t supposed to be on there,” Ludacris’ rep told Rolling Stone in January, claiming his inclusion was “a mix-up.”
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Rock the Country has sparked backlash after social media users presumed that the festival is affiliated with the “Make America Great Again” conservative movement fueled by President Donald Trump. (Concert organizers have not publicly addressed its political affiliations.)
Weeks before dropping out of Rock the Country, Shinedown drummer Kerch, 49, defended the band’s participation.
“There’s been tons [of online hate and] the knives come out when they don’t like it,” Kerch said on the “Vinyl Road” podcast last month. “We are an apolitical band, but the knives have come out. It’s crazy, and to be honest, I had no idea.”
According to Kerch, none of his bandmates were aware that Rock the Country was “Kid Rock’s thing.” (Rock, 55, is a noted supporter of Trump and the Republican party, plus he’s set to headline Turning Point USA’s alternative halftime show during the 2026 Super Bowl.)
“It was just, ‘Hey, here’s an offer. It looks like a cool lineup, and it’s a mix of country and rock [artists],’” Kerch recalled. “We took the offer … and then, all of a sudden, we found out this [has] got some political leaning to it. I don’t care, I’m just going to play a show. You keep your politics to yourself. I have no opinion one way or the other on Kid Rock. I love his music [and] this is about music.”
