The Freedom 250 celebration isn’t going according to plan. Multiple artists are backing out of the Great American State Fair due to the event’s failure to remain nonpartisan. It is scheduled to take place roughly one month from now, before July 4, in honor of the United States’ 250th anniversary.
Below, find out which major artists, including Martina McBride and Bret Michaels, have exited the lineup for the Freedom 250 Great American State Fair.
Martina McBride
— Martina McBride (@martinamcbride) May 29, 2026
“I would like to talk to you and clear the air. I will not be performing at the Great American State Fair on June 25th,” McBride wrote in social media announcement. “I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event, but that turned out to be misleading. I asked lots of questions and was assured this was a nonpartisan event that was meant to celebrate ALL 50 states.”
McBride went on, “In my mind, I thought this was a great way to celebrate the states and also bring people together in the way that only music can. I saw it as just a bigger version of so many state fairs I have performed at over the years, celebrating community and what makes each state special. Sounds fun, right? Wholesome even. Yesterday, things started changing, and what we were told is, in fact, not what is happening.”
“I’ve spent my entire career singing songs about real people with real issues,” McBride added. “I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to be a voice for those who have felt like they didn’t have one. It greatly upsets me that any fan who may have been moved by my music may now feel like I’m abandoning the meaning behind those songs. I assure you that is not the case. I appreciate every single fan who has reached out. I hope to get back to the DC area very soon.”
Bret Michaels
“When this opportunity was originally presented to my team, it was described as a celebration of our country through music and a chance to honor our veterans, active military, first responders, teachers and hardworking Americans from all walks of life,” Michael wrote in an Instagram statement. “Unfortunately, what was presented to us as a celebration of our country has evolved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of.”
The rock artist went on to note that “concerns have also been raised regarding the safety of my fans, band, crew, family and myself, including threats that are completely unfounded and unforgivable. Because of that, I have made the difficult decision to step away from this performance.”
Young MC
“I HAVE INFORMED MY AGENTS THAT I WILL NOT BE PERFORMING AT THE FREEDOM 250 EVENT,” Young MC wrote in a Facebook post, before adding, “The artists were never told about any political involvement with the event.”
The rapper continued, “And despite the claims by the organizers that the event is non-partisan, SPIN magazine describes it as ‘Trump-backed.’ I hope to perform in D.C. in the near future at an event that is not so politically charged.”
C+C Music Factory
C+C Music Factory vocalist Freedom Williams said in a video that he told his agent to pull him from the event because he was not told about its political connection.
“He didn’t mention Trump. I’m getting all these texts, ‘We’re going to cancel C+C Music Factory, this is going to be a terrible show,’” Williams pointed out in his video post. “So I told my agent, yeah, no, I ain’t good to do that. … I don’t f**k with Trump. I don’t give a f**k about Trump. I know the type of f**king anarchy he creates. But the day I let you motherf**kers tell me what to do is the day I die.”
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