Artists pull out of Trump-backed concert for America’s 250th birthday

Published on
28/05/2026 – 11:10 GMT+2

You may have heard that this year marks the United States of America’s 250th birthday, and Donald Trump is going all out when it comes to “250 Freedom” events.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Construction has begun on an Octagon-shaped cage on the White House south lawn, which is set to host a controversial UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship).

The mixed martial arts extravaganza has already rubbed people up the wrong way, with many comparing it to the Hunger Games and highlighting that cage matches may not be the best way to spend money when Americans are struggling with healthcare cuts, soaring inflation, and rising fuel prices.

“Elect a clown, expect a circus,” as one X user put it.

Now, a new event has been announced: The Great American State Fair, which will take place from 25 June – 10 July at the National Mall in Washington, DC.

The musical line-up has been revealed and it’s… charitably, very 90s. Absolutely nothing wrong with that. We missthe decade and its music output. However, when you peruse the headliners, it’s a different story. Less charitably, it’s a set of has-beens who rely on nostalgia tours.

The performers include Vanilla Ice, Martina McBride, C+C Music Factory, Young MC, Morris Day, Poison’s Bret Michaels, Flo Rida and Fab Morvan – the surviving member of the lip-syncing duo Milli Vanilli.

Girl, you know it’s true…

Less true is the announcement that Morris Day, best known as the lead singer of The Time (a group associated with Prince), will be performing.

Day took to Instagram, writing: “Contrary to rumor, Morris Day & The Time will not be performing at the ‘Great American State Fair.’” adding, “It’s A No For Me.”

Fair enough. We’re sure that Kid Rock will be very happy to step in as a replacement.

Young MC has also dropped out, after being included on the bill, posting: I HAVE INFORMED MY AGENTS THAT I WILL NOT BE PERFORMING AT THE FREEDOM 250 EVENT,” adding: “The artists were never told about any political involvement with the event.”

The line-up has been blasted online, with many referring to it as “a joke”, “pathetic” and “a parody”. One Instagram commenter stated: “Milli Vanilli?! Like the 80’s band that got caught not singing a single word of their own music? Fitting.”

Elsewhere, the celebration will apparently “unite and showcase all 56 U.S. states and territories in a single World’s Fair-scale event”.

According to the website: “This is an opportunity for visitors from across America to experience an unforgettable celebration of the people and traditions that define our nation. Our nation unites diverse states and territories to form the strongest country in the world. This once-in-a-generation celebration will feature live music, carnival rides, and dozens of hands-on partner activations, where visitors can taste, touch, and experience what makes each state and territory unique.”

“Freedom 250” is funded through a public-private partnership with funding from Trump-aligned tech firms Palantir and Oracle and federal contractors Deloitte and Lockheed Martin, among others. It is facing growing scrutiny from watchdog groups and members of Congress over the use of federal dollars for Trump-aligned events.

Consumer advocacy group Public Citizen is calling for congressional investigations after The New York Times reported that donors to Freedom 250 were offered access to the president if they donated $1 million.

The Great American State Fair starts on 25 June.