Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
International Business Times UK
International Business Times UK
World
Bernadette B. Tixon

What to Know About 'The Great American State Fair': Artists Say They Were Misled into Joining Trump-Linked Shows

Artists pull out of Trump‑linked ‘Great American State Fair’ — festival on National Mall faces backlash over political ties. (Credit: James McNellis/WikiMedia Commons)

A wave of artists has withdrawn from a Trump-linked concert series just days after its lineup was made public, with several performers saying they were never told the event had any political affiliation. The controversy centres on 'The Great American State Fair,' a 16-day festival scheduled to run from 25 June to 10 July on Washington's National Mall, organised by Freedom 250 to mark the United States' 250th anniversary.

Freedom 250 is tied directly to an executive order signed by Trump on 29 January 2025, which created the White House Task Force on Celebrating America's 250th Birthday. The group is led by CEO Keith Krach, a former under secretary of state during Trump's first term. The organisation is separate from the bipartisan America250 commission established by Congress in 2016.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.