'Best MAGA Event' Branded a 'Disaster' After Festival Organiser Said He Would Not Stage It Again

A Kentucky festival once promoted by its organiser as the 'best MAGA event' has been cancelled just days before it was due to open after only six people bought its $1,000 (£756) VIP tickets.

Patriots Day Freedom Fest was scheduled for 26 September at Eric Deters' Morning View Farm in northern Kentucky, with Kid Rock, Dog the Bounty Hunter and several conservative political figures among the advertised names.

The cancellation came after Deters said the event's financial plan depended heavily on wealthy contacts purchasing VIP packages.

Freedom Fest Collapses After Six VIP Sales

Deters announced the cancellation in a Facebook video posted on 21 September, saying he had expected about 100 people from his network to purchase the $1,000 VIP tickets.

Instead, only six were sold, leaving the event without the funding Deters said was needed to proceed. General admission had been intended to remain free, meaning the premium tickets were central to the festival's financing.

The organiser expressed his frustration with the people he had expected to support the event and said he would not stage it again.

'None of these people will ever, ever, ever get a favor from me again,' Deters said in comments reported by several outlets.

Kid Rock and Dog the Bounty Hunter Were Booked

The cancellation came just days before the planned festival, which had assembled a headline-heavy line-up.

Kid Rock was advertised alongside reality television personality Duane 'Dog the Bounty Hunter' Chapman. The programme also listed Republican figures including US Representative James Comer and Kentucky congressional candidate Ed Gallrein, as well as Fox News contributor Joe Concha.

Despite the event being cancelled, Kid Rock was not blamed for the decision. His representative later said the musician had only been added five days before the cancellation and was booked to speak rather than perform.

The Festival Had Previously Drawn Thousands

Freedom Fest had been held at Deters' farm since its launch in 2022, with previous editions featuring conservative speakers, live entertainment, food trucks, children's activities and fireworks.

Past guests included Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Candace Owens, while reports said earlier editions had attracted crowds numbering in the thousands. Deters had previously described the gathering as the 'best MAGA event, no question'.

That history made the sharp drop in VIP sales particularly notable, although the ticket figures alone do not establish how many people would have attended the free portion of the event.

Kyle Kulinski Highlights Six-Ticket Collapse

The cancellation also became a talking point on The Kyle Kulinski Show, where host Kyle Kulinski highlighted the unusual financing model and the tiny number of VIP purchases.

'Only six of those tickets ultimately sold,' Kulinski said while discussing the report, calling attention to the contrast between the event's previous reputation and the latest ticket figures.

Kulinski also used the cancellation to argue that the development reflected broader problems for the MAGA movement. Those wider political conclusions were his commentary, rather than a finding established by the ticket figures themselves.

Deters, meanwhile, rejected the idea that the cancellation proved MAGA supporters had abandoned the event. He attributed the decision to the failure of the VIP sales model and said he would not organise the festival again.