Shinedown pull out of Kid Rock’s festival: “Our band’s purpose is to unite, not divide”
Shinedown have pulled out of the Rock the Country festival, founded by Kid Rock, an event they claim “will create further division”.
Rock the Country is a travelling festival which is set to visit seven small towns across the United States this summer to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary.
While Rock the Country isn’t technically a political event, President Donald Trump did introduce Kid Rock’s set via video message in 2025. Additionally, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson introduced him at a series of shows at the inaugural edition of Rock the Country in 2024.
Following a backlash to the line-up announcement in January, rapper Ludacris pulled out of Rock the Country, with a representative for the musician describing his inclusion as a “mix-up”.
Now, rock band Shinedown have also withdrawn from the event. In a statement, they explained: “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.”
They continued, “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.”
Explaining their decision to withdraw from the event, Shinedown added, “We know this decision will create differences of opinion. But we do not want to participate in something we believe will create further division.”
They signed off by thanking their fans “for supporting and believing in us”.
Rock the Country does have a number of mainstream artists performing at the travelling festival, including Jelly Roll, who recently won two Grammys. At the red carpet following his victory for ‘Best Contemporary Country Album’, he chose not to comment on ICE’s recent actions in the US and said “people shouldn’t care to hear my opinion”, describing himself as “a dumb redneck”.
Other notable acts that feature on the bill include Jason Aldean, Creed, Blake Shelton, Hank Williams Jr, Miranda Lambert, Brooks and Dunn, Nelly, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Ella Langley.
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