Trump the main star of the opening ceremony for the 250th anniversary of the USA, some performers have withdrawn

U.S. President Donald Trump will next month lead an event marking the nation's 250th anniversary on the National Mall, after several musical performers scheduled to appear at the celebration canceled their participation, citing concerns over association with him, organizers told the Washington Post, Reuters reported.

The concerts were planned as the opening ceremony of the Great American State Fair, a sixteen-day event to be held from June 25 to July 10, 2026.

Organizers said the fair, organized by the Freedom 250 group, will stretch across the National Mall from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument, with concert stages, state pavilions, exhibitions, rides, and other attractions.

However, the musical program has been hit by a series of cancellations. On Friday, Bret Michaels, lead singer of the rock band Poison, became the fifth performer to withdraw from the concerts, saying the event was not the nonpartisan celebration he thought it would be.

Organizers have not publicly detailed the reasons for the cancellations, although it has raised questions about the viability of the event as originally conceived.

Danielle Alvarez, an advisor to Freedom 250, stated that "Trump will personally kick off this historic celebration on Wednesday, June 24 at the opening ceremony for America's 250th birthday."

In a post on Truth Social earlier on Saturday, Trump suggested that the series of concerts may no longer be necessary if performers continue to drop out. Instead, he mentioned the possibility of delivering a speech on the National Mall, presenting himself as a bigger attraction than any musical performer.

"The fact is that I am, by many accounts, the number one attraction anywhere in the world," Trump wrote. He added that he has "a much bigger audience than Elvis in his prime" and "does it without a guitar."

President Trump said he is "ordering his representatives to consider the feasibility of holding a rally AMERICA IS BACK."

Freedom 250 is a public-private partnership established by the White House to coordinate the celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the United States together with federal agencies.

It remains unclear whether replacement musicians will be hired or whether organizers are seriously considering Trump's proposal to replace the performances with a rally.