Kid Rock 'snubbed' from MAGA festival after struggling to sell tickets for his own tour
Kid Rock 'snubbed' from MAGA festival after struggling to sell tickets for his own tour
Scarlett O'Toole Sun, May 31, 2026 at 11:17 AM UTC
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Kid Rock performs
Kid Rock struggled to sell tickets for his tour (Image: Getty Images)
Kid Rock has endured a string of embarrassing setbacks in recent weeks, including a military helicopter controversy, disappointing ticket sales and now being overlooked for a MAGA music festival.
Freedom 250 revealed the lineup for the Great American State Fair earlier this week, but prominent Donald Trump supporters such as Nicki Minaj and Kid Rock were notably absent from the roster. Instead, Freedom 250 announced performers including The Commodores, Martina McBride, and Morris Day and The Time, though these acts have since withdrawn from the festival.
Multiple performers have backed out of the event, alleging they were deceived about its true nature. With Kid Rock completely excluded from the lineup, PR specialist Dylan Thomas Cotter has indicated it may be connected to the difficulties his own tour has encountered.
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Kid Rock's Rock The Country festival faced significant challenges selling tickets, with the 55-year-old ultimately reducing prices. Dylan explained to The Irish Star, "If the festival planners are concerned with presenting a highly entertaining event, they'd want to include acts that perform well.
"That said, it's an interesting exclusion considering Rock's long-standing affiliation with the present administration; however, it is plausible that this particular event inclusion omission would make sense if, in fact, it were based on recent poorly performing ticket sales." The PR expert indicated that weak ticket sales "would be a good risk assessment at that point to consider omitting the act from performing as there would be a concern on if they would draw in an actual crowd of paying spectators or not."
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Kid Rock is a big supporter of Donald Trump (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
PR manager Ali Smith concurred. She noted, "I think this one is largely political. I think he's been getting substantial amount of bad press lately, and he's not the same quality that he used to be."
Smith suggested Kid Rock has suffered a lot of "flops" recently, pointing to the poor turnout for his Turning Point USA half-time show. She also said his connection with the MAGA movement is turning fans away.
No official reason has been provided for Kid Rock's absence from the festival, although he is currently touring with his Rock The Country tour, which runs through September 12.
Kid Rock won't be at the Great American State Fair (Image: Getty)
On June 27, he's scheduled to perform in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, before heading to Hastings, Michigan, on August 8. The tour wraps up with a performance in Hamburg, New York, on September 12.
PR expert Joe Szynkowski characterized the Kid Rock snub as a "strategic event decision." He explained it likely has something to do with the fact Kid Rock is currently on tour.
"In entertainment PR, exclusivity and timing also matter. If he's already heavily visible in the market, event planners may prioritize artists who create a fresher draw or generate a different type of media attention," Joe said.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
