See Iowa State Fair Grandstand ticket sales for each 2023 show from Eric Church to Ludacris
The 2023 Iowa State Fair came to an end just over a month ago with 11 Grandstand performances, where thousands saw the washboard abs of New Kids on the Block members, heard The Chicks take a stab at former President Donald Trump or witnessed Jason Aldean speak about his controversial song, “Try That in a Small Town.”
Though country star Eric Church sold the most tickets, it was The Chicks who inched out Church with more than $1.4 million in ticket sales.
Here’s how much money in ticket sales each Grandstand performance brought in, though artist fees and production expenses will subtract from the net ticket sales, Mindy Williamson, Iowa State Fair marketing director, said in an email to the Des Moines Register that contained the attendance and ticket sales numbers.
The Chicks
Emily Stayer, Martie Maguire and Natalie Maines, known as country act The Chicks, took the Grandstand stage Aug. 19 for nearly two hours.
They let an animation do the talking about their thoughts on former President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, covered Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton’s “Rainbowland,” the song banned from a Wisconsin first grade spring concert, and joked about how hot it was that evening.
The Chicks performed “Gaslighter” as well as their enduring hits like “Cowboy Take Me Away” and “Wide Open Spaces.”
Ticket sales: $1,431,889
Attendance: 17,219
More: The Chicks hold space for LGBTQ+, women, social justice movements at Iowa State Fair
Eric Church
Eric Church told the Iowa State Fair Grandstand crowd they could tell co-workers they’d been in church until at least 11 p.m. that Sunday, Aug. 13.
The Grammy nominee is a native of North Carolina and headlined the State Fair’s second-most-attended concert in recent history with 17,283 tickets sold, just 37 fewer than record-holder Chris Stapleton’s 17,320 in 2021.
Church, donning his signature shades, performed hits like “Springsteen” and “Drink In My Hand.”
Ticket sales: $1,419,809
Attendance: 17,283
More: Eric Church closes Iowa State Fair's first weekend, nearly breaks attendance records
Jason Aldean
The country star behind “Dirt Road Anthem” and “She’s Country” didn’t shy away from his recent controversial single “Try That in a Small Town.”
The song, co-written by Des Moines native Kurt Allison, received backlash due to its lyrics, which some believe contain racist undertones, and a music video that was partly shot at a Tennessee courthouse that was the site of a 1927 mob lynching of 18-year-old Black teenager Henry Choate.
Aldean told his audience on Aug. 20, the final day of the State Fair, that he is proud of the song and its message. The Grammy nominee also signed an American flag and returned it to the crowd.
Ticket sales: $1,089,809
Attendance: 12,581
More: Jason Aldean addresses 'Try That in a Small Town' controversy during Iowa State Fair show
New Kids on the Block
The boy band out of the late 1980s teased lots of skin to thousands of fans at the Iowa State Fair, a night that marked their return to the Grandstand more than three decades after they first appeared in 1989.
Donnie Wahlberg, Joey McIntyre, Danny Wood and Jonathan and Jordan Knight performed “Step by Step” and “You Got It (The Right Stuff),” accompanied by their many pelvic thrusts on Aug. 12.
New Kids on the Block performed a sold-out show for a crowd of 15,000 at the State Fair in 1989 with teen star Tiffany.
“In every single time we’ve been to Iowa since, you continued to impress us. You continued to show us so much love,” Donnie Wahlberg told the crowd. “We can’t thank you enough because you always continue to surprise us and blow our minds.”
Ticket sales: $725,404
Attendance: 9,481
More: New Kids on the Block tease skin on 'live change cam,' take selfies at Iowa State Fair
Ludacris
Concertgoers were treated to Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges earlier in the night than expected on Aug. 18 when opener Sean Kingston was delayed in his arrival to the fair, prompting the rapper to start his set sooner.
He kept the crowd busy singing with “Move B****,” his rap in Usher’s “Yeah!” and his memorable feature in Justin Bieber’s iconic 2012 song “Baby.”
Fans were also informed of Ludacris’ Iowa connection. His debut album featured songs produced by Shondrae Crawford, including the popular “What’s Your Fantasy?” Crawford, better known as Bangladesh, is originally from Des Moines.
Ticket sales: $557,819
Attendance: 13,842
More: Rapper Ludacris shows love for Des Moines-native producer at the Iowa State Fair
The Black Keys
Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, founders of The Black Keys, saved some of the band’s most-recognizable songs for last when they played “Little Black Submarine” and “Lonely Boy" on Aug. 14.
The Ohio-originated blues-rock band performed both earlier work and music off their most recent album, “Dropout Boogie,” from 2022.
The Grammy winners were joined by openers The Velveteers, a rock band from Colorado whose album “Nightmare Daydream” was produced by Auerbach.
Ticket sales: $470,574
Attendance: 5,482
More: The Black Keys skip small talk at the Iowa State Fair in favor of delivering their hits
Jeff Dunham
Comedian and ventriloquist Jeff Dunham stopped at the State Fair Aug. 15 as part of his “Still Not Canceled” tour. Dunham was joined by his many co-stars — none of whom breathe — and has been appearing across stages for years and starred in his own show, “The Jeff Dunham Show,” on Comedy Central.
Ticket sales: $361,859
Attendance: 7,644
For King + Country
The first Grandstand performance of the fair on Aug. 10 was led by brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone.
The Smallbones are behind the Grammy Award-winning Christian pop act For King + Country.
Luke Smallbone spoke to the Des Moines Register before the fair about the movie based on his family’s experience leaving Australia and coming to America and the band’s most recent album, “What Are We Waiting For?”
Ticket sales: $351,907
Attendance: 9,480
Tyler Hubbard
The singer-songwriter best known as part of the former country duo Florida Georgia Line tested out a new song with the State Fair Grandstand audience Aug. 11.
Hubbard, who founded the Grammy-nominated act alongside Brian Kelley, has been reintroducing himself to audiences with solo hits like “Dancin’ In The Country” and “5 Foot 9.”
He performed those songs, as well as Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” that Friday, telling the crowd how grateful he was to perform live after the COVID-19 pandemic halted so many live performances for months.
Ticket sales: $292,924
Attendance: 7,140
More: Tyler Hubbard mixes new songs, Florida Georgia Line hits; ends State Fair concert shirtless
Maren Morris
Country singer-songwriter Maren Morris felt the love at the State Fair Aug. 17.
“I’m really overwhelmed with the love here tonight,” she told the crowd. “I promise I don’t act like this every show.”
Morris performed some of the songs that helped launch her into stardom like 2016’s “80s Mercedes” and 2017’s “My Church.”
Ticket sales: $284,329
Attendance: 6,183
More: Country music star Maren Morris plays the Iowa State Fair on Thursday night
Lindsey Stirling
Violinist, dancer and longtime YouTuber Lindsey Stirling got her start on Season 5 of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.”
She performed at the fair Aug. 16.
She’ll be returning to Iowa for a performance in Cedar Rapids on Dec. 2 as part of her recently announced tour Snow Waltz.
Ticket sales: $241,749
Attendance: 5,930
Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at PBarraza@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Which 2023 Iowa State Fair concerts topped $1 million in ticket sales?
