Which shows are sold out for the 2024 Iowa State Fair? See how ticket sales are going.
The Iowa State Fair is just around the corner with a lineup of 11 days of concerts ranging from the rock sounds of Mo?tley Cru?e to the crossover artist Jelly Roll. The Grandstand shows will kick off with Lauren Daigle and her Christian rock and end with Kidz Bop.
Ticket sales are in line with previous years, with one already sold out and several have already reached more than 12,000 tickets sold.
Historically, who sold the most concert tickets at the Iowa State Fair?
The Grandstand may never see a show quite as big as Sony and Cher, the singers and variety show hosts who saw 26,200 people over two shows in 1972.
The Beach Boys played favorites “I Get Around,” “Good Vibrations” and “Little Deuce Coupe” to a crowd of 25,402 in one show three years later.
In 1972, Sonny and Cher attracted 26,200 in two shows.
In 1975, the Beach Boys drew25,402 in one show.
In 1970, Johnny Cash attracted 25,300 in two shows playing songs such as “Orange Blossom Special,” “Jackson” and “I Walk the Line.”
In 1974, Chicago played to24,700 in one show.
In 1982, the Oak Ridge Boys drew 23,500 in two shows.
More: The 2024 Iowa Stata Fair concert lineup is set. Who’s performing at the Grandstand?
Who sold the most Iowa State Fair tickets in recent years?
Country singer Chris Stapleton, who sold 17,320 tickets in 2021, leads the top seven single shows at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand in the past six years.
Other acts that round out the top seven single shows in recent State Fair history are:
Country star Eric Church sold 17,283 tickets last year, just 37 fewer than record-holder Chris Stapleton.
The Chicks sold 17,219 tickets last year.
Iowa's own heavy metal band Slipknot sold 17,032 tickets in 2019.
Country singer Blake Shelton sold 16,873 tickets in 2021.
Country star Thomas Rhett brought in 15,775 in 2018.
County duo Brooks & Dunn performed before 15,047 in 2022.
Rhett returns to the Iowa State Fair this year to play on Tuesday, Aug. 13.
How many tickets have been sold for Iowa State Fair concerts in 2024?
Here’s how many tickets each Grandstand act for 2024 has sold so far as of Aug. 2.
Jelly Roll
If you thought you could snag tickets to Jelly Roll, you might be out of luck. The country and rock crossover musician makes his first appearance at the Iowa State Fair Grandstand with a sold-out show. The concert already sold 16,200 tickets, on par with ticket sales to Eric Church’s Grandstand show last year. Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, earned two Grammy nominations in 2023 for his songs about his former troubled life.
Date: Saturday, Aug. 10
Tickets: Sold out
Special guest: Dax
M?tley Crüe
Those “Girls, Girls, Girls,” “Dr. Feelgood” and “Shout at the Devil” singers already sold 12,100 tickets to their show. The Crüe plays their first Iowa State Fair Grandstand show this year.
Date: Wednesday, Aug. 14
Tickets: Start at $60
Special guest: Pop Evil
Thomas Rhett
Fans of “Die A Happy Man” and “That Ain’t My Truck” already sold 11,500 tickets to his show. He holds one of the slots for best-selling show at the Iowa State Fair from 2018 when 15,775 bought tickets.
Date: Tuesday, Aug. 13.
Tickets: Start at $45
Special guest: Priscilla Block
Foreigner
The band behind “Feels Like the First Time,” “Cold as Ice,” “Double Vision” and “Hot Blooded” brings their “Historic Farewell” Tour to the Iowa State Fair Grandstand. Already, 11,100 bought tickets to the show.
Date: Friday, Aug. 9
Tickets: Start at $35
Special guest: Melissa Etheridge
Lauren Daigle
Fans of the contemporary Christian singer Lauren Daigle already snatched up 9,900 tickets to her show to open the fair. Daigle came on the scene in 2015 when she released her debut album, “How Can It Be,” which featured her hits “First,” “Trust in You,” and “O’Lord.”
Date: Thursday, Aug, 8
Tickets: Start at $35
Special guest: Blessing Offor
Greta Van Fleet
The band Greta Van Fleet plays their first Iowa State Fair with 9,000 already anticipating the show. Songs such as “Safari Song,” “When the Curtain Falls,” “You’re the One” and “Black Smoke Rising” helped them gain a wide following. They won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album for “From the Fires” in 2019.
Date: Sunday, Aug. 11
Tickets: Start at $45
Special guest: The Beaches
Gabriel ‘Fluffy’ Iglesias
The comedian brings his stash of Hawaiian shirts that match his larger-than-life personality to the Grandstand with 8,600 planning to attend.
Date: Thursday, Aug. 15
Tickets: Start at $30
Ne-Yo
R&B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo is behind late 2000s hits such as “So Sick,” “Miss Independent” and “Closer.” He already sold 6,400 tickets to his show on the Grandstand.
Date: Saturday, Aug. 17
Tickets: Start at $35
Special guest: Eric Bellinger
The Avett Brothers
So far, 5,600 bought tickets to see The Avett Brothers play “Ain’t No Man,” “Murder in the City,” “If It’s The Beaches” and “Head Full Of Doubt/Road Full of Promise.”
Date: Friday, Aug. 16
Tickets: Start at $35
Special guest: G. Love & Special Sauce
Kidz Bop Live 2024
The group founded in 2001 features some of the day’s biggest hits such as "Anti-Hero," "Cuff It," “As It Was,” and more. The music brand takes pop songs from performers such as Britney Spears or Outkast and swaps out kid-friendly lyrics, good for the whole family. So far, 5,500 plan to see the show.
Date: Sunday, Aug. 18
Tickets: Start at $20
Brett Young
About 5,500 fans bought tickets to see country star Brett Young and hear his West Coast-meets-Southern sound, dubbed “Caliville” style. He has a string of seven No. 1 hits, including “In Case You Didn’t Know,” “Mercy,” “Sleep Without You,” “Like I Loved You,” “Here Tonight,” “Catch” and “Lady.
Date: Monday, Aug. 12
Tickets: Start at $35
Special guest: Needtobreathe
Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. You can reach out to her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or drop her a line at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: How many Iowa State Fair concert tickets have been sold?
