Martina McBride, seen in an October photo, bowed out of a performance celebrating America’s 250th birthday. (Jason Kempin / Getty Images)
By Joe Saunders May 29, 2026 at 11:02am
One of the biggest stars in country music has announced she won’t be part of one of the biggest stages in the country’s history after all.
Martina McBride, a Kansas native who has spent more than 30 years in the music industry, pulled out of her spot in the Great American State Fair, a 16-day exposition on the Washington Mall celebrating the country’s 250th birthday, centered around the Fourth of July.
And while her reasons were vague, the backlash was striking.
In an Instagram post published Thursday evening, McBride complained about “misleading” elements being involved in getting her to agree to participate — but she never described specifics.
“I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading,” McBride wrote. “I asked lots of questions and was assured this was a nonpartisan event that was meant to celebrate ALL 50 states. In my mind, I thought it was a great way to celebrate the states and also to bring people together in the way that only music can. I saw it as just a bigger version of so many state fairs I have performed at over the years, celebrating community and what makes each state special. … Yesterday things started changing and what we were told is, in fact, not what is happening.”
Does McBride’s decision make it more or less likely that you will pay for her music in the future?
McBride did not elaborate on how anything has changed, but implied the event was no longer “nonpartisan” — meaning politics had gotten involved.
And like everything else in the country when it comes to politics, the reaction on Instagram showed a stark division. Some fans complimented McBride’s decision — one response from recording artist Sheryl Crow called it “authentic and real.”
But many others accused her of being “divisive” herself.
“Such a sad decision for those of us that are patriotic Americans who believe in our country and hoped our 250th would be an opportunity to bring people together,” one user wrote. “Most Americans would be watching and celebrating from our TVs or computers to celebrate. Your decision is obviously yours to make but you are not helping this amazing country in anyway by doing this. You could have made a statement bringing people together. Sad.”
“People need to stop putting their hate into one person and do it for the American people who love their country!” wrote another, in a clear reference to the left’s raging dislike for President Donald Trump. “When you let your hate control you more than the love of your country is the very sad thing!”
“Your dropping out makes it divisive,” another wrote. “What a shame.”
Others noted that McBride had performed at the White House during President Barack Obama’s administration.
🤔 PRESIDENT OBAMA’S WHITE HOUSE = FINE
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S AMERICA 250 FAIR = TOO POLITICAL
Washed-up Martina McBride pulled out of the Great American State Fair because it’s “not what we were told” and suddenly “partisan”…
Yet here she is in 2009, smiling and performing… pic.twitter.com/lScWcQHkTO
— Jay Gatling (@apinionsvary) May 29, 2026
McBride isn’t the first artist to pull out of the celebration, as The Hill reported.
Hard rocker Bret Michaels and British-born rapper Young MC were among others who changed their minds.
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Joe has spent more than 30 years as a reporter, copy editor and metro desk editor in newsrooms in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Florida. He’s been with Liftable Media since 2015.
Joe has spent more than 30 years as a reporter, copy editor and metro editor in newsrooms in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Florida. He’s been with Liftable Media since 2015. Largely a product of Catholic schools, who discovered Ayn Rand in college, Joe is a lifelong newspaperman who learned enough about the trade to be skeptical of every word ever written. He was also lucky enough to have a job that didn’t need a printing press to do it.
Birthplace
Philadelphia
Nationality
American
