A political festival in Kentucky featuring Kid Rock has been canceled just days before it was scheduled to take place, after organizers said VIP ticket sales fell far short of expectations.
The event, known as Patriots Day Freedom Fest, was scheduled for Saturday, September 26, at organizer Eric Deters’ farm in Morning View, Kentucky, about 25 miles south of Cincinnati. The festival had been promoted as a free public event featuring music, political speakers, food vendors, entertainment and fireworks.
Kid Rock was among the announced guests, alongside Republican Rep. James Comer, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Ed Gallrein and Fox News contributor Joe Concha. In previous years, the event has attracted thousands of attendees and featured high-profile conservative speakers including Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Candace Owens.
But this year’s event will not happen.
Deters announced the cancellation Monday, explaining that his financial plan depended heavily on sales of VIP tickets priced at $1,000 each. He said he had expected approximately 100 wealthy contacts and business associates to purchase the VIP tickets, which would help cover the cost of keeping general admission and parking free.
Instead, according to Deters, only six VIP tickets had been sold.
That meant the event’s funding model was no longer workable, leading Deters to call off the festival only days before the planned date.
In a video announcing the cancellation, Deters expressed frustration with the lack of financial support from wealthy people he had expected to participate. He also said he did not intend to organize the event again.
The cancellation means fans who were expecting to see Kid Rock and the other scheduled guests in Northern Kentucky this weekend will no longer have the opportunity to attend the event.
The news has quickly generated discussion online, particularly because the festival had previously drawn large crowds. However, the organizer specifically attributed the cancellation to the VIP funding shortfall rather than saying that the event had failed to attract general public interest.
For now, the September 26 Freedom Fest is officially off the calendar.
The unexpected cancellation also highlights how much the festival’s organizers depended on a relatively small number of high-dollar supporters to finance an event that was otherwise advertised as free to the public.
With only six of the anticipated 100 VIP tickets sold, the financial gap proved too large to overcome.
Kid Rock’s involvement had been one of the biggest attractions announced for this year’s festival, but he will no longer appear at the Kentucky event as scheduled.