Iowa State Fair Concerts Draw Record-Breaking Attendance

It was a record year for entertainment at the Iowa State Fair!

I'll be honest. When I first saw the lineup of grandstand shows at this year's Iowa State Fair, I thought they were good, but not great. Shows you what I know! The Des Moines Register reports that the 2025 fair lineup officially sold the most tickets in the history of the Iowa State Fair!

What Concert Sold the Most Tickets at the Iowa State Fair?

Here are the official ticket sales according to the Iowa State Fair.

Forrest Frank - 15,804
Parker McCollum - 9,256
Megan Moroney - 16,371
Pitbull - 16,090
Lynyrd Skynyrd - 6,960
Rascal Flatts - 13,322
Hairball - 8,358
Def Leppard - 14,733
Hank Williams Jr. - 11,185
T-Pain - 16,202
KIDZ BOP - 3,335

This year's lineup proved to be a great mix of country, pop, rock, and Christian music! But how do these shows stack up against the biggest EVER at the Iowa State Fair?

The Register reports that the biggest single show in state fair history belongs to The Beach Boys, who drew 25,402 fans in one show in 1975. During the modern era, or since the grandstands were renovated in 2018, the biggest shows include;

2021 - Chris Stapleton - 17,320
2023 - Eric Church - 17,283

Who will come to the Iowa State Fair in 2026? Stay tuned and find out!

Iowans Share Their First Ever Concert Experiences

Do you remember the very first concert you ever attended? We asked listeners on Facebook, and these are some of the responses:

Gallery Credit: Courtlin

All the Country Artists Coming to Iowa in 2025

Here are all the country acts that will play concerts across the state of Iowa this year (as of February 13th), listed in alphabetical order!

Gallery Credit: Courtlin

Source: It Was a Record-Setting Year for Concerts at the Iowa State Fair

Filed Under: Iowa State Fair, concerts

Categories: Local News