Several legacy performers listed for Freedom 250 and a June 26 “I Love the 90s” show say they were not consulted or say the event is politically charged—just days before the 16-day “Great American State Fair” is set to begin on the National Mall.
When the first Freedom 250 lineup hit social media. it promised a blockbuster celebration of American music—names from the pop and rap era all the way to R&B royalty. But days before the 16-day “Great American State Fair” is scheduled to open on the National Mall. several of the artists tied to that promise have publicly denied involvement.
The question now is simple, and awkward: who is actually taking the stage?
Freedom 250. the organization behind the President Donald Trump-linked festivities marking the nation’s 250th anniversary. released an initial slate that included Milli Vanilli. Young MC. Vanilla Ice and C+C Music Factory. along with Morris Day and the Time. the Commodores. Flo Rida and Bret Michaels. Country singer Martina McBride was also listed in the first wave of announcements.
Organizers said performances would roll through the event, with one early highlight scheduled for June 26—an “I Love the 90s” concert featuring several nostalgia-era acts.
They framed the entertainment as part of a broader celebration showcasing American music alongside cultural exhibits and other programming connected to the 250th anniversary.
But within a day of the lineup being released, multiple artists pushed back.
Morris Day and the Time posted on social media that they would not perform at the event, despite being listed. Young MC also said he would not take part. saying he had not been made aware of any political affiliation surrounding the concerts and expressing concern about the event being “politically charged.”.
Members of Milli Vanilli similarly said they had not been asked to perform.
Jodie Rocco, a singer who said she and her bandmates had not been contacted, told The Associated Press that their inclusion was a “shock.”
Not every listed act has backed away. Vanilla Ice has confirmed that he intends to appear, with a representative saying he is “proud to help celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.”
Freedom 250 has not publicly addressed the discrepancies between the announced lineup and the artists who have disputed their participation. Newsweek reached out to Freedom 250 via email on Thursday afternoon for comment.
The timing is sharp. The dispute is unfolding just days before the start of the Great American State Fair—an event described as a 16-day festival running from June 25 through July 10 on the National Mall. Organizers say it will be a World’s Fair-style gathering bringing together representatives from all U.S. states and territories, with concerts, cultural displays, military demonstrations and educational programming stretching from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument.
Admission will be free, and organizers have promoted the fair as a central feature of the nationwide America250 celebrations.
Still, the event’s political fingerprints are part of what’s driving the controversy over who was—or wasn’t—consulted.
Freedom 250 is tied directly to an executive order signed by Trump on January 29. 2025. which created the White House Task Force on Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday to plan and coordinate federal anniversary events. Later, the administration launched Freedom 250 as the primary initiative and branding arm associated with those efforts. The group is led by CEO Keith Krach. a former under secretary of state during Trump’s first term. whom the president appointed to oversee the initiative’s activities.
Freedom 250 is distinct from the bipartisan America250 commission, which was originally established by Congress in 2016.
The turmoil around the lineup lands alongside other 250th anniversary programming tied to Trump’s calendar. Trump is also hosting an Ultimate Fighting Championship card at the White House on Flag Day. June 14. to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary—and it will be his 80th birthday. The event will feature a 5,000-seat arena and octagon-shaped cage on the South Lawn.
For performers and fans alike, the Freedom 250 controversy has turned what was supposed to be a roster announcement into a living, public argument—one that may only intensify as the June 25 start date for the Great American State Fair gets closer.
Freedom 250 Great American State Fair National Mall Milli Vanilli Young MC Vanilla Ice Morris Day and the Time Flo Rida Bret Michaels Martina McBride Keith Krach America250 Trump 250th anniversary