Country music star cancels Michigan International Speedway show, put on ‘strict vocal rest’

BROOKLYN, MI – Up-and-coming country music artist Nate Smith has canceled all of his shows for June, including his prerace concert scheduled for Michigan International Speedway.

Smith was supposed to lead a concert at MIS on Sunday, June 8, prior to the FireKeepers Casino 400 NASCAR race. The show was part of the Busch Light Summer Music Series.

Smith’s doctors put him on “strict vocal rest” through the end of June.

“We’ve all come to the decision that the best way to get my voice fully back is to rest it for the first time in almost five years,” Smith wrote in a Facebook post. “This is the part that is so hard for me, because I have multiple bucket list shows coming up this month (including CMA Fest) and it breaks my heart knowing I won’t be there to see all of you.”

MIS officials couldn’t be reached Wednesday afternoon to say whether there will be a different performer for the show, prior to Sunday’s race.

The concert was supposed to last for an hour on the grass field near the start/finish line. Fans didn’t need to purchase a separate ticket – anybody with Sunday tickets could watch the show.

Smith is a multi-platinum, award-winning country music artist. In 2024, he was named Billboard’s Rookie of the Year and Amazon’s Breakthrough Country Artist.

His most famous songs include “Whiskey on You,” “World on Fire,” “Wildfire” and “Bulletproof.”

Smith is scheduled to tour this summer on Jason Aldean’s Full Throttle Tour.

No Faster Horses

Smith isn’t the only country music cancellation at MIS in 2025. The annual Faster Horses music festival was canceled for this summer. Organizers said they were “taking the year to make plans for a bigger and better Faster Horses.”

Track officials hope to have Faster Horses return in 2026.

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“Obviously we would rather have the event if we could. But it’s a pause year,” MIS President Joe Fowler said. “We have so many things that happen throughout the year here, especially in the summer, event-wise, that we’re going to keep a pretty busy schedule.

“I have no reason to believe that Faster Horses won’t be back next year.”