Vanilla Ice confirms Freedom 250 concert as Martina McBride drops out

Vanilla Ice is ready to rock the stage as other acts retreat at the Great American State Fair’s Freedom 250 concerts.

One video Sharing on his Instagram account, the 58-year-old rapper stated that he was excited and “honored” to take the stage at the event and promised to “bring back the 90s”.

“It’s all about enjoying 250 years of great times. From George Washington to today. All the presidents and everyone in between, this is a magical event that’s going to happen,” he said in the video. “It’s so rare. I’m honored, man. This is going to be epic. That’s it. We don’t take anything too seriously and we’re going to bring it to the ’90s, that’s how it goes.”

In his article, he shared that the concert “will be an epic party” held “to bring us all together.”

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“We are all one. This is not a political platform. This is celebrating America’s birthday,” he wrote. “Nothing too serious, just enjoying some fun, dancing and wonderful memories. I hope you can join us.”

It was met with a number of conflicting comments from fans; some praised him for deciding to join the demonstration, writing, “I’m with you bro! Let’s go 🔥🔥” and others called his decision “disappointing” because they oppose the current administration led by President Donald Trump.

Vanilla Ice responded to the negative comments with his own take, telling fans: “If Joe Biden calls and says hello, I want you to play for my daughter’s wedding. I’ll play.”

“There are fans everywhere. Music has no political rules. We are just entertainers,” he wrote. “I don’t vote and never will, and I always try to bring people together. We are all one. Positivity is the best hope for everything. Love is the answer.”

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Vanilla Ice told his followers that there is no politics in music. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)

The Great American State Fair is a large-scale national celebration held on the National Mall in Washington, DC, extending from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument. The event will run from June 25 to July 10, 2026, as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations (America 250).

Freedom 250, the group organizing the event, released the list of artists participating in the concert on Wednesday, but many of those artists have since backed out, including Bret Michaels, Young MC, Morris Day and the Time and C+C Music Factory.

Country singer Martina McBride is among those who announced her decision to withdraw from the concert and leave the event with a lengthy statement about X.

He wrote in his statement that he was “offered the opportunity to perform at a non-partisan event” and was upset that the upcoming show “turned out to be misleading.”

Musician Martina McBride announced her withdrawal from the event on Thursday. (Daniel Knighton/Getty Images)

“I’ve spent my entire career singing about real people with real problems. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to be a voice for those who feel like they don’t have one,” McBride added. “It makes me very sad that any fans who are attracted to my music will now think that I have abandoned the meaning behind these songs.”

The country music superstar received a lot of reactions on social media after his statement.

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One user wrote to X: “Coward. Today is America’s 250th birthday, not political. Never bow to the woke mob. You just did it.”

McBride received backlash online for his decision to withdraw from the concert. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

Another wrote: “Wow. So you gave up after being rejected by people who were never your fans. You’re not brave. You’re not defending anyone. You’re a coward. Shame on you @martinamcbride.”

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