Since 2023, the Voices of America Country Music Festival, or VOA Country Music Fest, had been held in West Chester Township, Ohio. While loving the event, the city watched as the 2025 festival brought over 150,000 people. Although the festival organizers worked closely with city officials and law enforcement, it seemed that it was time for the VOA Country Music Fest to find a new home. With the 2026 festival kicking off on August 6, organizers teased a bright future ahead.
Looking at the lineup of this year’s festival, it was easy to see how the VOA Country Music Fest brought in thousands of fans. In just a few weeks, Jordan Davis, Rascal Flatts, Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, and several others will take the stage for what will mark the final festival in West Chester.
No matter what the future held, the marketing director for the VOA Country Music Fest, Carly Adams, promised the festival wasn’t ending. “VOA is here to stay. Our team, the fans, everyone that makes the festival what it is, we’re not going anywhere.” While Adams teased that organizers already found an “exciting location” for 2027, she wanted to wait until the right time to make the announcement.
West Chester Thanks The VOA Country Music Fest For A Great Run
The decision to move the festival came after Further Festivals didn’t renew their contract with West Chester beyond 2026. With both parties having to come to an agreement, it seemed the city was ready for the festival to relocate.
Releasing a statement, the township stated, “West Chester Township recognizes the festival’s popularity and appreciates the work of the event organizers, public safety personnel, and community partners who have supported the event. At the same time, hosting an event of this size requires significant resources for public safety, operational planning and property restoration. Furthermore, the festival has not produced a measurable local economic benefit sufficient to offset these impacts.”
Although the festival will leave West Chester after 2026, organizers insisted the event was only entering a new chapter. With organizers already securing a new location, fans will have to wait a little longer to see where VOA Country Music Fest heads next.
But with VOA Country Music Fest already booking artists like Shelton and Paisley, 2027 could help launch an exciting new era for the festival.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Stagecoach)
The post Popular Country Music Festival Is Leaving Its Longtime Home After This Year appeared first on American Songwriter.
Author: Chris Piner
« 3 Folk Songs From the 1960s With Melodies That Still Echo Decades Later
4 Songs From 1971 Every Kid Heard While Riding in the Family Car to School Each Morning »