Two more artists have dropped out of the lineup of Kid Rock‘s 2026 Rock the Country Festival, and this time, both are from the country genre.
Rolling Stone reports that Carter Faith and Morgan Wade both exited the lineup after formerly being listed as performing artists when Rock the Country was announced earlier this month.
Their exit comes days after rapper Ludacris pulled out of Rock the Country. Representation for Ludacris said that it was a “mix-up” that he was ever listed on the bill to begin with, and that “lines got crossed and he wasn’t supposed to be on there.”
Read More: Ludacris Exits the Lineup For 2026 Rock the Country Festival
However, Ludacris had also faced an outcry from fans upset with him for performing on a festival headed by Rock, since the singer is one of Pres. Donald Trump’s most vocal musical supporters. Rock the Country also includes other MAGA-associated stars, such as Jason Aldean.
Why Did Morgan Wade and Carter Faith Pull Out of the 2026 Rock the Country Festival?
Neither singer gave an official reason for leaving the lineup. Taste of Country reached out to representatives for both artists for clarification, but as of time of publishing, neither camp responded.
As of Wednesday morning (Jan. 28), Wade’s name was removed from the lineup on Rock the Country’s website, though Faith’s name still appears on the bill.
TikTok user Jordy Cray shared a screenshot of a TikTok comments section in which a fan says, presumably to Faith, “Why are you performing at Rock the Country Festival? So disappointed in this.”
“I’m not anymore!” Faith responds.
Maren Morris Weighs In On Why Newer Artists Might Be Booked For Rock the Country
In the comments section of Cray’s post, Maren Morris — who’s been vocal about her political beliefs, and clashed over issues with Aldean and his wife Brittany — provided some insight into why newer artists like Wade and Faith might have been booked in the lineup without necessarily wanting to be associated with Rock’s political stances.
Morris emphasized that she’s not close to this particular situation, but spoke about her experience as a young artist.
“Sometimes as a young opener on a tour, your tour route loops in festival dates between normal shows, so occasionally artists don’t have eyes on every festival because they’re at the mercy of the headliner/tour package they’re opening for,” she wrote.
Maren Morris Comment Carter Faith Morgan Wade Rock the Country
“I ended up playing a festival in 2018 and didn’t realize until I was there how sus it was because I was opening on tour for someone who was headlining the bill,” Morris continued.
“Either way, good for them for taking a stand!”
Who is Performing at the 2026 Rock the Country Festival?
Aside from Rock himself, headlining acts at the eight-stop Rock the Country Festival including a rotating cast of superstars. Jelly Roll, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton and Jason Aldean are all headliners, as are Brooks & Dunn, Riley Green, Ella Langley, Hank Williams Jr. and more.
Stars from other genres are also performing, including Creed, Nelly and the rock band Shinedown.
Read More: All the Country Tours + Festivals Scheduled For 2026
The festival will hit eight small towns across the country for a two-day experience in each location. A selection of the full lineup will appear at each stop. Find a full list of dates and cities below.
May 1-2 – Bellville, Texas @ Austin County Fairgrounds
May 29-30 – Bloomingdale, Ga. @Ottawa Farms
June 27-28 – Sioux Falls, S.D. @ W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds
July 10-11 – Ashland, Ky. @ Boyd County Fairgrounds
July 25-26 – Anderson, S.C. @ Anderson Sports & Ent Center
Aug. 8-9 – Hastings, Mich. @ Barry Expo Center
Aug. 28-29 – Ocala, Fla. @ Florida Horse Park
Sept 11-12 – Hamburg, N.Y. @ Erie County Fairgrounds
See the Most Played Country Song from the Year You Were Born
Who had the most played country song during the year you were born? This list is a fascinating time capsule of prevalent trends from every decade in American history. Scroll through to find your birth year and then click to listen. Some of these songs have been lost through the years, many of them for good reason!
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
