The singer’s team says he was added to the Kentucky event only five days before it was canceled, was booked to speak rather than perform and had no other ties to it.
ByBernadette Giacomazzo
September 23, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Kid Rock’s representative said he joined Freedom Fest five days before its cancellation, was booked only to speak, and “has no other ties to the event.”
- Organizer Eric Deters canceled the free Kentucky festival after selling just six $1,000 VIP packages, far short of his goal of 100.
- Deters said the cancellation had “absolutely nothing to do” with Kid Rock and blamed financial constraints that kept him from covering the event’s costs himself.
Kid Rock’s representatives have a message about the Kentucky festival that collapsed after selling just six VIP tickets: The musician had nothing to do with it.
Following the cancellation of Patriots Day Freedom Fest, which advertised Kid Rock and Dog the Bounty Hunter among its celebrity guests, the singer’s team issued a statement to Entertainment Weekly clarifying exactly how he became involved.
“Kid Rock was added to this event 5 days before it was canceled. He was not performing, only booked to speak at the event. He has no other ties to the event,” his representative said.
The clarification comes after organizer Eric Deters pulled the plug on the September 26 gathering at his Morning View, Kentucky, property. The event promised celebrity appearances, entertainment, fireworks, and free general admission, with VIP packages intended to cover the expenses.
Unfortunately, the VIP sales didn’t come close to Deters’ expectations.
He planned to sell about 100 tickets at $1,000 apiece to wealthy acquaintances. Those packages included access to a hospitality tent, meet-and-greet opportunities, and premium viewing areas.
When Deters checked the numbers, he discovered that only six people had purchased VIP tickets. That’s $6,000 toward an anticipated $100,000. The number of people who registered for free admission remains unknown.
In a since-deleted Facebook video, Deters recounted asking his ticketing representative for an update.
“Are you ready for the drumroll?” he recalled, before revealing the six-ticket total.
The organizer later expressed frustration with the wealthy acquaintances he expected to finance the gathering.
“Rank-and-file Americans are the backbone of this country, [from] both political parties,” Deters said. “I want to tell you something, rich people, as a whole, suck.”
He also announced that he had no intention of organizing another Freedom Fest, repeatedly emphasizing that he was finished with the annual event.
However, Deters defended Kid Rock in a follow-up video, insisting the cancellation had “absolutely nothing to do” with the musician.
“Kid Rock’s a good dude. I’m tickled to death he agreed to come,” Deters said. He attributed the cancellation to financial obligations that prevented him from personally covering the festival’s expenses, as he had done previously.
Kid Rock has had his fair share of festival troubles this year. His traveling Rock the Country event previously offered general-admission discounts of up to 50 percent at several stops, citing increased fuel costs.
It also experienced lineup changes, including Jelly Roll’s withdrawal from its Sioux Falls date and departures by other previously announced artists.
