Back in January, the Faster Horses Music Festival announced the cancellation of the event. Taking place at the Michigan International Speedway, event organizer Darci Keyes looked to fill that gap with the Country Roads Music Festival. Planning the event right down the road from the speedway, it appeared to be a carbon copy of Faster Horses. It featured music, a 3K run, camping, and even a corn hole tournament. While gaining some excitement, on July 14th, Country Roads was canceled. With fans left wondering exactly what happened, Keyes decided to share some insight into where it all went wrong.
Videos by American Songwriter
On Friday, July 18th, Country Roads was expected to kick off at The Groves of Michigan Campground. The festival even promoted stars like Colt Ford, Drew Baldridge, and Restless Road. With music, fun, food, and even corn hole, what happened?
Speaking with Fox2 Detroit, Keyes discussed how unprepared their team was when trying to create a festival in such a short amount of time. “I don’t think that we ever got to that critical minimum ticket sales level. After we got everything done and got tickets on sale. We probably only had about three-and-a-half months and I think in hindsight – Monday morning quarterbacking – it probably wasn’t sufficient time to be able to promote the festival.”
Organizer Not Ready To Give Up On Country Roads Music Festival
Although making the tough decision to cancel the event, Keyes wasn’t ready to bury the idea completely. Learning a great deal from the experience, she looked forward to bringing the country music festival to life in 2026.
While fans shared their disappointment in the canceled festival, singer McKayla Prew noted how the canceled event impacted her. Set to perform at the festival, she insisted, “Festivals are obviously a major way that growing artist like me get their name out there. It’s also one of the main ways that myself and my band generate income.”
As for fans looking for their refunds, Country Roads posted a message on its Instagram, stating, “All tickets will be fully refunded. You don’t need to do a thing, we’ll handle it on our end and make sure that money gets back to you as quickly as possible. We’re so grateful for your support and understanding. This community means the world to us, and we can’t wait to share something really special with you in 2026.”
(Photo by Scott Legato/Getty Images)
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.