Faster Horses Festival Takes ‘Pause’ for 2025, Plans Future Revival

BROOKLYN, Mich. — The Faster Horses Festival, a beloved three-day country music event held annually at Michigan International Speedway, will take a hiatus in 2025, organizers announced Friday. The festival, known for its star-studded lineups and lively camping atmosphere, will pause to plan for a “bigger and better” future experience.

In a statement posted on the festival’s official Facebook page, organizers said, “Dear Fans, we have made the decision to pause Faster Horses Festival in 2025. We are taking the year to make plans for a bigger and better Faster Horses for our fans who deserve the absolute best.” The note was signed by “BOC” — shorthand for festival head Brian O'Connell — and “Team Faster Horses.”

Since its debut in 2013, Faster Horses has become a summer staple, drawing around 40,000 fans each year to the speedway grounds. The festival has hosted country music heavyweights like Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Luke Bryan, and Keith Urban, earning a reputation as a “three-day hillbilly sleepover.” The 2024 edition featured performances by Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, and Hardy.

Organizers expressed gratitude to the Michigan International Speedway and the local community, stating, “We love our friends at Michigan International Speedway, the community, and all of those behind the scenes. While we hope to bring you something in the future, for now we encourage you to keep the community strong and support live music in Michigan!”

The pause comes amid a broader decline in music festival attendance across the U.S. and internationally. Coachella, a bellwether for the festival industry, failed to sell out in 2024 for the first time in over a decade, while San Francisco’s Outside Lands also struggled to attract attendees. Rising ticket prices, economic pressures on fans, and a perceived lack of fresh headlining acts have contributed to the downturn.

Faster Horses has only been canceled once before, in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival typically takes place on the third weekend of July, offering a mix of live music, camping, and a vibrant community atmosphere. Fans of the event are now left to speculate about its return and what changes might be in store for its future iterations.