SHINEDOWN has become the latest act to pull out of this year’s edition of Rock The Country, the country music festival launched in 2024 by headliner Kid Rock.
The 2026 installment of the traveling event is set to feature Kid Rock and fellow Donald Trump supporter Jason Aldean at the top of the bill, alongside an undercard that includes CREED, Brantley Gilbert, Gavin Adcock, Nelly and others. SHINEDOWN had been scheduled to appear only at the Anderson, South Carolina stop on July 26.
Rock The Country 2026 will take place May 1–2 in Bellville, Texas; May 29–30 in Bloomingdale, Georgia; June 27–28 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; July 10–11 in Ashland, Kentucky; July 25–26 in Anderson, South Carolina; August 8–9 in Hastings, Michigan; August 28–29 in Ocala, Florida; and September 11–12 in Hamburg, New York.
Earlier today (Friday, February 6), SHINEDOWN announced its decision to withdraw from the festival in a statement shared via social media. The band wrote: “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.
“We know this decision will create differences of opinion. But we do not want to participate in something we believe will create further division.
“And to our fans, thank you for supporting and believing in us.
“We love and appreciate you always.”
The move comes just weeks after SHINEDOWN drummer Barry Kerch publicly criticized Ludacris for pulling out of the same festival.
Speaking on an episode of The Vinyl Road podcast — hosted by former SHINEDOWN and current SALIVA bassist Brad Stewart alongside Jason Bailey — Kerch addressed the backlash surrounding SHINEDOWN’s involvement in Rock The Country. While the festival is not officially political, its associations sparked heated reactions online.
Kerch acknowledged that criticism came swiftly once SHINEDOWN’s participation was announced. He said: “There’s been tons. The knives come out when they don’t like it, especially now politically. And we are an apolitical band. But the knives have come out. It’s crazy. And to be honest, I had no idea, and neither did Brent [Smith, SHINEDOWN singer] — I think Zach [Myers, SHINEDOWN guitarist] maybe had a clue — I had no idea this was Kid Rock‘s thing. It was just, ‘Hey, here’s an offer. It looks like a cool lineup, and it’s a mix of country and rock. Okay, we’ll play it.’ We took the offer and played it, and then all of a sudden we find out, ‘Oh, this has got some political leaning to it.’”
Despite the noise surrounding the event, Kerch stressed that his focus remains solely on the music. “I don’t care. I’m just gonna go play a show,” he said. “I really, really don’t care. You can keep your politics to yourself. I have no opinion one way or the other on Kid Rock. I love his music. This is about music. Ludacris wasn’t tough… I mean, it’s not like he needs the money, Jeez. If he’s not tough enough to stick it out, that’s just silly. That’s him being a coward, in my opinion.”
Bailey also asked whether SHINEDOWN would ever decline a festival slot due to political associations or negative fan reactions. Kerch emphasized that decisions within the band are made collectively.
“I would hope not, but [SHINEDOWN] is a democracy,” Barry explained. “There’s four of us to vote. My vote would be no, but if three of the other guys vote against it, then, again, it’s a democracy. I can’t change their vote. But I would hope not. ‘Cause I like to stick by my grounds. And listen, I don’t do politics when it comes to the business of SHINEDOWN. I have my own beliefs. I keep those to myself, and so do the other three guys. I just wanna go play a rock show with some country bands ’cause it looks like fun.”
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