The Freedom 250 celebration doesn’t go according to plan. Many artists are backing out of the Great American State Fair because of the event’s failure to remain nonpartisan. It is scheduled to be held about a month from now, before the Fourth of July, in honor of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
Below, learn about the key artists, including Martina McBride and Bret Michaelsthey are out of the lineup for the Freedom 250 Great American State Fair.
Martina McBride
pic.twitter.com/Ono3zPi54Z
— 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 25,” McBride wrote in a social media announcement. “I had the opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event, but that turned out to be misleading. I asked a lot of questions and was assured that this was a nonpartisan event meant to celebrate all 50 states.”
McBride continued:In my opinion, 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 larger version of the many state fairs I’ve performed at over the years, celebrating community and what makes each state special. Sounds fun, right? Healthy even. “Yesterday things started to change, and what we were told is actually not what is happening.”
“I’ve spent my entire career singing songs about real people with real problems,” McBride added. “I’ve had the opportunity to be a voice for those who felt like they didn’t have a voice. It bothers me greatly that any fan who may have been affected by my music might now feel like I’m abandoning the meaning behind those songs. I assure you that’s not the case. I appreciate every fan who has reached out to me. I hope to be back in 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 an opportunity to honor our veterans, active military personnel, first responders, teachers, and hardworking Americans from all walks of life,” Michael wrote in a statement on Instagram. “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 point out that “JConcerns have also been raised regarding the safety of my fans, my band, my crew, my family, and myself, including threats that are completely baseless and inexcusable. That is why I made the difficult decision to walk away from this performance.”
Young M.C
“I have informed my agents that I will not be participating in the Freedom 250 event,” the Young MC wrote in a Facebook post, before adding: “The artists were never told about any political participation in the event.”
The rapper continued: “Despite organizers’ claims that the event is nonpartisan, SPIN describes it as ‘backed by Trump.’ I hope to perform in D.C. in the near future at an event that is not politically charged.”
C+C Music Factory
C+C Music Factory vocalist Freedom Williams He said in a video that he asked his agent to pull him from the event because he was not told about his political connection.
“He didn’t mention Trump. I’m getting all these texts, ‘We’re canceling C+C Music Factory, that’s going to be a terrible show,'” Williams noted in his video post. “So I told my agent, yeah, no, I’m not good at doing this. … I don’t fuck with Trump. I don’t care about Trump. I know what kind of fucking mess he creates. But the day I let you motherfuckers tell me what to do is the day I die.”
