UPDATE (Feb. 6, 12:30pm ET): The Anderson, South Carolina date for Rock the Country (where Shinedown were initially scheduled to perform) has been removed from the festival’s website, indicating that the date has been canceled.
Shinedown has withdrawn from the 2026 Rock the Country festival, shortly after their drummer Barry Kerch referred to rapper Ludacris as a “coward” for doing the same.
The band announced its departure from the Kid Rock-led festival in an Instagram statement, which you can see below.
Shinedown’s Statement on Rock the Country
Shinedown explained their decision to withdraw from the festival in the following message:
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.
All love and respect,
Shinedown.
Who Else Is Performing at Rock the Country 2026?
The Rock the Country festival will feature a rotating lineup of rock and country artists as it visits eight cities across the United States. Artists such as Creed, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Danny Worsnop will share the stage with country stars like Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Jelly Roll, and Brooks & Dunn.
The festival also included a few rappers, including Nelly and Ludacris. The latter dropped off the lineup just four days after it was announced, with his representatives telling Rolling Stone that the booking was “a mix-up. Lines got crossed and he wasn’t supposed to be on there.”
Kerch addressed Ludacris’ exit from the festival, as well as Shinedown’s own decision to participate, in a recent episode of The Vinyl Road podcast, stating he “had no idea this was Kid Rock’s thing.”
“I don’t care. I’m just gonna go play a show,” said the drummer (via Blabbermouth). “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.”
See what other rockers are touring this year in our 2026 Rock + Metal Tour Guide:
2026 Rock + Metal Tour Guide
These are the biggest rock and metal tours happening in 2026 so far, including Metallica, Iron Maiden, My Chemical Romance, and more.
Gallery Credit: Lauryn Schaffner
