Country music fans in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, will be disappointed to hear that the “Rock The Country” music festival stop has been officially canceled. The news was announced via a post on the event’s public Facebook group page, citing low ticket sales as the primary reason for the cancellation of the Poplar Bluff location.
According to Steve Halter, president of the Poplar Bluff Chamber of Commerce, the cancellation is a significant setback. In a statement released Friday evening, Halter expressed disappointment, noting the previous year’s success. “We are incredibly disappointed that the Rock the Country music festival will not be returning to Poplar Bluff this year. Last year’s event was a massive success, bringing over 42,000 people to our community and showcasing what makes our region such a great destination for live music and entertainment,” Halter stated.
Halter suggested potential factors contributing to the lower-than-expected ticket sales this year. He mentioned, “While we understand that ticket sales may not have met expectations so far this year, we firmly believe that the addition of Little Rock as a venue played a significant role in slowing momentum, along with changes to the artist lineup.” Despite the cancellation, Halter remained optimistic about Poplar Bluff’s capacity to host large-scale events. “Poplar Bluff and Brick’s Off Road Park proved that it could host a major, two-day festival, and we have no doubt that the dedicated team at Brick’s will continue to bring high-quality events to our area.”
Brick’s Off Road Park, the venue for the planned festival, declined to comment on the cancellation when reached on Friday, January 31. Organizers of Rock the Country have indicated that ticket holders for the Poplar Bluff event have options to transfer their tickets to another festival location or request a full refund. Details regarding ticket transfers and refunds can be found on the official Rock the Country website.
Despite the cancellation of the 2025 Poplar Bluff event, the Chamber of Commerce remains appreciative of the experience “Rock the Country” provided in the past and is hopeful for future opportunities to showcase Poplar Bluff as a premier destination for live entertainment. Halter clarified that there are no plans to host the Rock the Country music festival in Poplar Bluff in the following year, as the agreement was on a year-by-year basis.
