Which Kansas State Fair concert is selling the most tickets? And how can you get one?
People go to the Kansas State Fair for the fried food, for the carnival rides and to collect free pens and yardsticks.
But many people go for the music.
This Kansas State Fair — which opens on Friday and runs through Sept. 17 in Hutchinson — has a packed schedule at the Grandstand, the 10,000-seat main music venue on the east end of the fairgrounds. But this year, music fans also will be able to catch several free shows featuring regional acts at the smaller Peoples Bank and Trust Arena on the west side of the fairgrounds.
Here’s a rundown of who’s playing, how to get tickets and which Grandstand shows are selling the best.
The Grandstand
The fair’s general manager Bryan Schulz says 2023 has been a good year for concert ticket sales. People will be able to find all kinds of well-known entertainers from nearly all genres — country, Christian, comedy, hip hop, Norteno and even hair metal — at the Grandstand.
Schulz said that ticket sales have been strongest so far for Christian rock band Needtobreathe’s opening night show on Friday, for country star Carly Pearce’s Saturday show, for Christian singer Matthew West’s Wednesday concert, and for the hair metal tribute band Hairball’s Thursday show.
Schulz said he’s also excited about a performance by La Fiera De Ojinaga scheduled for Friday, Sept. 15. The Norteno band, which formed in 2012 in Chihuahua, Mexico, is also drawing lots of interest.
“This year we decided to change some things up a little bit, and we looked at our schedule and said we need to add more with diversity,” he said. “We reached out to a regional Hispanic band, and we think that’s going to be a very big show.”
Following is a list of Grandstand shows for 2023. Tickets to all the shows, which include gate admission, are available at www.kansasstatefair.com or at the Kansas State Fair Ticket office, 2000 N. Poplar
Needtobreathe, Christian rock, 7:30 p.m. Friday, tickets $70, $60, $40
Carly Pearce with Megan Moroney, country, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, tickets $70, $60, $40
Rob Schneider with Byron Kennedy, comedy, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, tickets $70, $60, $40
Cooper Alan with Frank Ray, country, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, tickets $40, $30
Matthew West with Anne Wilson, Christian, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, tickets $70, $60, $40
Hairball, hair band tribute, 7;30 p.m. Thursday, tickets $40, $30,
La Fiera de Ojinaga with Oscar Garcia, Norteno, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15, tickets $70, $60, $40
Ja Rule with Disco Lines, hip hop, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, tickets $70, $60, $40
Peoples Bank and Trust Arena
This venue, located at Cottonwood Avenue and Poplar Street on the fairgrounds, is known as the covered arena where the comic hypnotist performs his shows. But this year, it will also feature several free evening concerts. Among them:
Voth, country trio, 7:30 p.m. Friday
The Other Guys, classic rock, 7 p.m. Saturday
Autumn Ragland, Americana, 7 p.m. Sunday
Steel Skarecrow, country/Southern soul, 7 p.m. Thursday
Blane Howard, country, 7 p.m. Sept. 15
Victor Trevino, Elvis impersonator, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 16
