HASTINGS, MI — Thousands of country music lovers will descend on the small town of Hastings this August to see their favorite artists perform.
Annual music festival “Rock The Country” is returning to Hastings, this year for a “250 years of freedom” celebration. The festival is one of eight to be hosted in American towns, and is the only Michigan stop.
“It’s a celebration of community, tradition and the spirit that’s carried America through 250 years,” the festival website reads. “It’s where neighbors become friends, families come together under the wide-open sky, and folks from every walk of life share the simple joy of great music and good company.”
The 2026 Hastings lineup will be headlined by Michigan native Kid Rock on Aug. 8 and Jason Aldean on Aug. 9.
The festival will be held at the Barry Expo Center, 1350 M-37, roughly 5 miles outside of Hastings. The small town is 39 miles southeast of Grand Rapids.
General admission tickets for the weekend start at $144, including fees, and can be purchased on the festival website. Single day tickets start at $90. Tickets are sold at five levels, each with a different price.
Officials expected 25,000 people to attend the festival last year, over three times the Hastings population of 7,513.
The expo center has RV and car camping available for an extra cost. Hotel packages can also be purchased through the festival website.
Hastings is the sixth stop of the festival, with the final August and September shows planned for Florida and New York. The festival’s only other Midwest stop is in South Dakota.
