Several musicians have withdrawn from the “Freedom 250 Presents: The Great American State Fair” concert series in Washington after saying the event became more politically charged than they expected.
The 16-day festival, scheduled for June 25 through July 10 on the National Mall, is tied to celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary and has been associated with supporters of President Donald Trump. Organizers initially promoted the event as a patriotic celebration featuring concerts, military tributes, and state-focused festivities.
Since the lineup was announced, more than half of the originally promoted acts have either backed out or questioned their involvement.
Country singer Martina McBride said she would no longer perform after concluding the event was not the nonpartisan celebration she believed it to be.
“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 on social media. “I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading.”
McBride said organizers initially described the festival as a celebration of all 50 states.
“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,” she wrote. “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.”
“Yesterday things started changing and what we were told is, in fact, not what is happening,” she added.
Rock musician Bret Michaels also announced he would not participate. The Poison frontman said the event had changed from what his team was originally told.
“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,” Michaels wrote 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,” he continued.
Michaels also cited safety concerns, saying “threats” had been made against him, his family and his crew.
Rapper Young MC said he withdrew after learning about the event’s political affiliations.
“The artists were never told about any political involvement with the event,” he wrote on social media, adding that he hoped to perform in Washington “at an event that is not so politically charged.”
Morris Day & The Time confirmed in a brief statement that they would not appear at the festival, while The Commodores said they did not want to affiliate publicly with a political party.
“Our music has always been our voice and we choose not to publicly affiliate with any single political party,” The Commodores wrote on Instagram. “We support the betterment of all Americans.”
Questions also emerged surrounding the participation of Milli Vanilli and C+C Music Factory. Some performers connected to those groups said they were unaware of the booking or objected to the event.
Fab Morvan, one of Milli Vanilli’s frontmen, said he still planned to appear.
“I am here to entertain and unite people, not divide them,” Morvan said in a statement, per Page Six. “Let’s celebrate life & music and take a trip down memory lane.”
Freedom Williams of C+C Music Factory said he initially intended to withdraw but later decided to perform after receiving criticism online.
As of Friday, Vanilla Ice and Flo Rida remained scheduled to perform. Vanilla Ice said he was “proud to help celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary.”
Freedom 250 spokesperson Rachel Reisner said the organization respected artists’ decisions while continuing to promote the festival as inclusive, The Hill reported.
“There is far too much to celebrate about this great nation to let noise and division distract from the incredible moment ahead,” Reisner said in a statement, “and we look forward to welcoming millions of Americans to a fair that belongs to all Americans.”
