Staind have officially been added as a headliner for the Sioux Falls, SD stop of the controversial ‘Rock The Country‘ festival. The multi-platinum alternative metal band will be replacing country/rap star Jelly Roll at the top of the bill on June 28th — the second date of the festival’s stop in that city.
The ‘Rock The Country‘ festival has long been divisive with its strong ties to conservative values and artists aligned with right-wing politics having it often been dubbed a ‘MAGA fest’. Conservative rap-rock/country star Kid Rock has thus far served as a flagship headlining artist for the touring festival, which features lineups that cater primarily to hard rock and country fans.
Since announcing its 2026 incarnation, the fest has been forced to scrap a planned July 25th-26th run in Anderson, SC that was set to be headlined by Creed and Shinedown. That cancelation came about seemingly in response to Shinedown exiting the bill. That departure came about after the radio rock kingpins experienced extreme pushback from fans for signing on to play that festival.
As it so happened, Shiniedown‘s decision to drop off the bill followed their drummer Barry Kerch previously calling rapper Ludacris a “coward’ for exiting the ‘fest ‘Rock The Country‘ festival days after first being announced. Ludacris‘ rep attributed the rapper’s brief involvement with the trek to miscommunication. Country singer Morgan Wade also chose to the fest. While Staind and Skillet were added to the Anderson, SC show in the wake of losing Shinedown, organizers ultimately pulled the plug on those dates.
Of course, it would seem unlikely that Staind will follow suit in wavering on their decision to play the festival, as their frontman Aaron Lewis is an outspoken advocate for conservative political beliefs. He has also already been booked to play The May 02nd stop in Bellville, TX with his solo band The Stateliners.
In addition to the headliner swap mentioned above, the aforementioned festival tour has slashed tickets prices by up to 50% in a limited-time promotional move. While the festival’s organizers maintain that price drop was done to give back to attendees in the face of rising fuel prices, critics have alleged it was actually done to offset lagging ticket sales.
Kid Rock described the festival this past January as follows:
“It’s this simple. ‘Rock The Country‘ isn’t just a music festival; it’s a movement. In 2026, as America celebrates its 250th anniversary, this is a place for hard-working, God-fearing patriots to gather as one and celebrate freedom, music, and the party of the year.”
‘Rock The Country‘ 2026 dates:
05/01-02 Bellville, TX – Austin County Fairgrounds
05/29-30 Bloomingdale, GA – Ottawa Farms
06/27-28 Sioux Falls, SD – W.H. Fairgrounds
07/10-11 Ashland, KY – Boyd County Fairgrounds
08/08-09 Hastings, MI – Barry Expo Center
08/28-29 Ocala, FL – Florida Horsepark
09/11-12 Hamburg, NY – Erie County Fairgrounds
