As is typically the case, the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand is offering a diverse lineup of entertainment that includes country (Old Dominion, Hank Williams Jr.), pop (Meghan Trainor, a Taylor Swift tribute), classic rockers (Def Leppard, Daryl Hall) and not one, but two hip hop acts (Nelly, Atmosphere).
In recent years, the likes of the Jonas Brothers, Blake Shelton and Motley Crue had top ticket prices of more than $200. This year, only one does, but it’s a record-breaking $292 for Def Leppard.
Tickets are available through Etix, by phone at 800-514-3849 and in person at the State Fairgrounds Ticket Office. All concerts start at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
Here’s a look at what’s on tap.
Old Dominion
Matthew Ramsey and Brad Tursi of Old Dominion perform in Nashville in 2023. Old Dominion will play the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand on Aug. 21. (Jason Kempin / Getty Images)
Aug. 21: Lead singer Matthew Ramsey and drummer Whit Sellers met as teenagers when they played on rival drumlines at two Virginia high schools. While attending James Madison University in Virginia, Sellers met bassist Geoff Sprung and guitarist Brad Tursi, while Ramsey met guitarist Trevor Rosen after moving to Nashville. The fivesome went on to form Old Dominion in 2007.
Old Dominion’s early singles “Shut Me Up” and “Break Up with Him” earned some airplay as well as the attention of RCA Nashville, which signed the band in 2015. That year, they opened for Kenny Chesney and hit it off, becoming semi-frequent tourmates. (Locally, Old Dominion has warmed the stage for Chesney three times, most recently in August 2022.)
In the years since, Old Dominion has maintained a steady presence on country radio with a string of hits that include “Snapback,” “Written in the Sand,” “One Man Band,” “I Was on a Boat That Day” and “Memory Lane.” They headlined the Grandstand in 2018 and made their local arena debut in September 2023 at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center. Local band Yam Haus opens. $149.25-$67.
Meghan Trainor
Pop star Meghan Trainor will headline the Grandstand at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights on Aug. 22, 2025. (Courtesy of the Minnesota State Fair)
Aug. 22: Pop star Meghan Trainor is finally hitting the State Fair after a vocal hemorrhage forced her to cancel her Grandstand show in 2015. That was a year after Trainor released her massive debut single “All About That Bass,” which hit No. 1 in 58 countries and earned a pair of Grammy nominations.
The Massachusetts native began singing in her church at the age of 6 and started writing songs and playing with the band Island Fusion as a teen. She also self-released three albums of original songs while in high school and turned down a full scholarship to the Berklee College of Music to pursue a songwriting career.
After spending time in Nashville writing for the likes of Rascal Flatts and Sabrina Carpenter, Trainor landed a deal with Epic Records. “All About That Bass” led the way for a string of mid-’10s hits, including “Lips Are Movin,” “Dear Future Husband,” “Like I’m Gonna Lose You,” “No” and “Me Too.” She won a best new artist Grammy in 2016.
In the time since, Trainor has continued to record while carving out a second career in reality television on “The Voice,” “The Four: Battle for Stardom,” “The Voice UK” and “Australian Idol.” Last year, she embarked on her first tour in eight years and sold nearly 260,000 tickets. $125.75-$56.
Atmosphere
Minneapolis hip hop duo Atmosphere will headline the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand in Falcon Heights on Aug. 23, 2025. (Courtesy of Samantha Martucci)
Aug. 23: Minneapolis hip hop duo Atmosphere heads up a packed bill that also includes Cypress Hill, Lupe Fiasco, the Pharcyde and DJ Abilities.
Rapper Sean “Slug” Daley and DJ/producer Anthony “Ant” Davis released their debut album “Overcast!” in 1997 on Rhymesayers, a record label they founded with Musab Saad and Brent Sayers. The pair broke through to a larger audience with 2002’s “God Loves Ugly,” which was later named as one of the 30 best underground hip hop albums of the 21st century by HipHopDX.
In the years since, Atmosphere has continued to regularly release new music, including their upcoming album “Jestures.” Over the past year, Ant has issued four instrumental albums dubbed “Collection of Sounds.”
Beyond the music, Atmosphere is best known for their live shows. They’ve toured heavily since the beginning and started playing with a live band in the early ’00s. From 2008 to 2019, the duo headed up the Soundset Music Festival, which drew fans from around the world to the Metrodome parking lot and, in its later years, the Minnesota State Fair. 5 p.m.; $85.25-$51.50.
Melissa Etheridge and Indigo Girls
Melissa Etheridge, shown, will perform with the Indigo Girls at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, as part of the Grandstand Concert Series. (Courtesy of the Minnesota State Fair)
Aug. 24: Singer/songwriter/guitarist Melissa Etheridge first turned heads with her 1988 debut single “Bring Me Some Water,” which hit No. 10 on Billboard’s mainstream rock chart. Her first three albums earned warm reviews and helped build a cult following for the Kansas native.
But it was Etheridge’s fourth album, 1993’s “Yes I Am,” that broke her into the mainstream, thanks to the songs “I’m the Only One” and “Come to My Window,” which continue to be played on radio and used in television and movies to this day. While she never has replicated that success, she has continued to tour and release new music, while winning a pair of Grammys out of 15 nominations and a best original song Oscar for “I Need to Wake Up” from the 2007 documentary “An Inconvenient Truth.”
The Indigo Girls, shown, will perform with Melissa Etheridge at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, as part of the Grandstand Concert Series. (Courtesy of the Minnesota State Fair)
Childhood friends Amy Ray and Emily Saliers began performing together as high school students in Georgia and adopted the Indigo Girls name while they were students at Emory University. The pair’s 1987 debut album “Strange Fire” led to a deal with Epic Records, which released their self-titled 1989 album, which stands as their best-selling record to date. Saliers wrote the lead single “Closer to Fine,” which reached a new generation of listeners when it was used prominently in the “Barbie” movie.
The two acts are swapping spots each night and have made guest appearances during each other’s shows. They both also have new documentaries, with the two-part “Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken” streaming on Paramount+ and “Indigo Girls: It’s Only Life After All” available on Netflix. $123.75-$56.
Happy Together Tour
Mark Volman, left, and Howard Kaylan of the Turtles made an annual tradition of bringing the Happy Together Tour to the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand from 2011 to 2016. Kaylan is retired, but the tour has continued.
Aug. 25: A half-dozen ’60s pop acts will perform in this package tour that debuted at the State Fair in 2011 and was a Grandstand staple for much of that decade. It returned in 2023 and drew a crowd of 6,718. Severe thunderstorms led to its cancellation last year.
The tour touts its artists as achieving “an incredible 55 Billboard Top 40 smashes.”
The lineup includes the Turtles (“You Showed Me,” “Happy Together”), Jay and the Americans (“Only in America,” “Come a Little Bit Closer”), Little Anthony (“Tears on My Pillow,” “Shimmy, Shimmy Ko-Ko Bop”), Gary Puckett and the Union Gap (“Young Girl,” “Over You”), the Vogues (“Five O’Clock World,” “You’re the One”) and the Cowsills (“Hair,” “Indian Lake”). $76.75-$33.
Def Leppard
Rick Savage and Def Leppard will play the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand on Aug. 26. (Paras Griffin / Getty Images)
Aug. 26: Multi-platinum ’80s rockers Def Leppard return to the Grandstand for the sixth time.
Formed in England in 1977, Def Leppard went on to become one of the biggest acts of the ’80s with a long list of smashes that include “Photograph,” “Rock of Ages,” “Animal,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Hysteria,” “Armageddon It,” “Love Bites” and “Rocket.”
The band’s hits dried up by the end of the ’90s, but they’ve continued to record new music while touring heavily, often on dual bills with the likes of Journey and Motley Crue. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
In 2022, the group released their 12th album, “Diamond Star Halos.” More recently, they issued the stand-alone singles “Just Like 73” (featuring a guest guitar solo by Tom Morello) and a cover of Ben E. King’s classic “Stand by Me” (with all proceeds going to FireAid, which raises money for those affected by the fires in Los Angeles). $292-$77.
Hank Williams Jr.
Hank Williams Jr. will headline the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand in Falcon Heights on Aug. 27, 2025, with support from Marty Stuart. (Courtesy of the Minnesota State Fair)
Aug. 27: The son of country legend Hank Williams, Hank Williams Jr. began performing at an early age. He made his first television appearance in 1963 at the age of 14, singing several of his dad’s songs on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Williams was highly influenced by his father’s friends, including Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Fats Domino, Earl Scruggs, Lightnin’ Hopkins and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Williams released his debut album, “Hank Williams Jr. Sings the Songs of Hank Williams,” in 1964, when he was 15. He continued to sing covers until the mid-’70s when he began carving out his own sound in Southern rock and outlaw country. His landmark 1975 release “Hank Williams Jr. and Friends” saw him drawing influence from Waylon Jennings, Toy Caldwell and Charlie Daniels.
Among the more than 100 singles he’s issued over the decades, “Family Tradition,” “Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound,” “All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down),” “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight,” and “Born to Boogie” stand among his biggest hits.
Williams first played the Grandstand in 1968 on a bill with Marty Robbins, Sonny James and Connie Smith. He returned as a headliner in 1983 with Aaron Tippin.
Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives are also on the bill. $125.75-$56.
Daryl Hall
Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates will play the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand on Aug. 28. (Mickey Bernal / Getty Images)
Aug. 28: The 78-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was a late addition to the Grandstand lineup. He replaces the Steve Miller Band, who canceled their entire upcoming tour last month, citing climate change as the reason.
Daryl Hall and John Oates met in Philadelphia in 1967 when they were each leading their own bands. They struck up a friendship and, in 1970, began performing together. Their early albums didn’t produce any serious hits, although locally, KQRS put tracks from their 1973 sophomore record, “Abandoned Luncheonette,” into rotation, one of several regional stations to give Hall and Oates their first significant airplay.
In 1976, the pair scored their first success with “Sara Smile,” which paved the way for “She’s Gone,” “Rich Girl,” “Kiss on My List,” “Private Eyes,” “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do),” “Maneater,” “One on One,” “Say it Isn’t So,” “Out of Touch” and “Everything Your Heart Desires.” In total, they landed 34 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned seven platinum and six gold albums.
In November 2023, Hall filed a lawsuit to prevent Oates from selling the pair’s publishing rights. Oates later told Rolling Stone the duo would not perform together again, which Hall confirmed in an interview with Variety. Earlier this week, news broke that the pair have resolved the dispute through arbitration.
The Rascals (“Groovin’,” “Good Lovin’,” “People Got to Be Free”) open. $100.25-$44.
The Avett Brothers
Scott Avett, left, and Seth Avett of The Avett Brothers will headline the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand on Aug. 29. (Amy Harris / Invision / AP)
Aug. 29: Founded by North Carolina siblings Scott and Seth Avett, folk rock band the Avett Brothers spent the 2000s recording for an indie label and building a following through heavy touring. They eventually attracted the attention of mega producer Rick Rubin, who signed them to his American Recordings label in 2008. The Avetts have since recorded six acclaimed albums with Rubin, including last year’s self-titled effort, the band’s 11th overall.
The group previously played the Basilica Block Party in 2010 and 2012 as well at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand in 2015 and Target Center the following year. Their most recent local concert was with Trampled by Turtles at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center in October.
The Milk Carton Kids open. $121.75-$54.
Nelly
Aug. 30: Fresh from playing a post-Twins game concert last month at Target Field, ’00s hitmaker Nelly will return to the Twin Cities atop a bill that also includes Ja Rule, Mya and Ying Yang Twins.
St. Louis native Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. adopted the stage name Nelly and made a huge splash with his 2000 debut album, “Country Grammar.” It topped 10 million in sales and spawned hits in the title track, “E.I.” and “Ride wit Me.”
Nelly released his signature song, “Hot in Herre,” in 2002 and returned to the charts with “Dilemma,” “Shake Ya Tailfeather,” “Over and Over” and “Grillz.”
“Just a Dream,” from 2010, turned out to be his last major solo single, but Nelly got a career boost in 2013 when he was a guest on the Florida Georgia Line smash “Cruise.” Soon after, he hit the road opening for the country duo. His most recent album, 2021’s “Heartland,” included collaborations with Florida Georgia Line, Darius Rucker, Jimmie Allen and Kane Brown.
Over the past decade, Nelly has played Target Field (with Florida Georgia Line), the Myth, Treasure Island Casino, Twin Cities Summer Jam and, last year, Xcel Energy Center as the opening act for Janet Jackson. $121.75-$54.
The Rock and Roll Playhouse Plays Music of Taylor Swift
The Rock and Roll Playhouse Plays Music of Taylor Swift and More for Kids featuring Bri and the Anti-Heroes will play two shows at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand in Falcon Heights on Sept. 1, 2025. (Courtesy of the Minnesota State Fair)
Sept. 1: The Rock and Roll Playhouse, which bills itself as “the largest national kid-friendly live concert series,” will play the music of Taylor Swift during two shows on Labor Day.
The New York-based company presents live concerts aimed at families with children ages 10 and under. The interactive shows include games, movement and “an opportunity to rock out in an effort to educate children and encourage them to explore their creativity.” It has hosted more than 1,000 concerts for hundreds of thousands of kids and families across the country, “filling the void for shared musical experiences between parents and children.”
The concert will also feature Bri and the Anti-Heroes, a band of six friends who came together in the spring of 2023 to pay tribute to Taylor Swift. Led by vocalist and North Dakota native Brianna Helbling, the group has sold out every show they’ve played, including First Avenue. 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; $19.25-$10.
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