- - '2000s Rapper Drops Out of Music Festival With Controversial Headliner Amid Fan Backlash

Carly SilvaJanuary 17, 2026 at 6:42 PM

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Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc

Ludacris has officially been removed from the Rock the Country 2026 lineup.

The "Money Maker" artist was previously announced as one of the performers for the upcoming music festival, prompting a wave of backlash from fans who questioned his decision to take part in an event headlined by conservative artists like Kid Rock and Jason Aldean.

But the artist lineup on the official website for Rock the Country has since been , this time with Ludacris left off the bill.

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The rapper, 48, has not publicly addressed the situation, nor did he issue any sort of announcement that he would no longer be performing at the festival.

Instead, a rep for Ludacris confirmed to Rolling Stone that he was never supposed to be on the initial lineup, and that his inclusion had been the result of a "mix-up."

"Lines got crossed and he wasn't supposed to be on there," his rep said.

One user on X (formerly Twitter) said they were initially "disgusted" to see Ludacris on the lineup, considering that headlining artists like Kid Rock and Aldean are both active and vocal supporters of Donald Trump.

Some users online are even nicknaming the event "MAGA fest."

While promoting the festival on Instagram, Kid Rock wrote, "It's 2026, America turns 250, and Rock The Country is marking the moment the right way: loud music, small towns, and the people who make this country great."

While Ludacris' rep said his inclusion on the lineup boiled down to a misunderstanding, some users online are still speculating that the "Act a Fool" rapper backing out of the gig could have something to do with the backlash he received.

"Suuurrreeeee that’s why lol" one user quipped online, while another echoed, "A 'mix up', huh? Sure."

"Mix-up was he saw the rest of the roster," someone else theorized.

But others are just glad that Ludacris is no longer on the lineup, regardless of the real reasoning behind the switch-up.

"You had me scared there for a second," one of Ludacris' fans wrote.

"Gotta appreciate a quick correction though," someone else echoed, while another wrote to the rapper, "thanks for doing what the people wanted!!!"

Related: Foo Fighters Announced on 'Absurd' Lineup For BottleRock Music Festival 2026

This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”