SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Following last year’s historically successful state fair season which generated record-breaking revenue and the highest grandstand attendance in years, Illinois State Fair Manager Kevin Gordon announced six of the 11 concerts for the 2020 Illinois State Fair, scheduled Aug. 13-23 in Springfield.
“We are excited to announce the first wave of concerts today. The lineup reflects a diverse mix of genres from both established artists and emerging stars that will appeal to a wide variety of fans,” Gordon said.
“Toby Keith’s mix of country anthems and party tunes are the summer staple we can build the rest of this year’s lineup around. And when that lineup already includes popular hip-hop artist and actor LL Cool J, country’s newest stars like Kane Brown and Chris Young and alternative rock powerhouses Puddle of Mudd and Fuel, we are well on our way to having another record-breaking State Fair lineup.”
Country music megastar Toby Keith brings his “Country Comes to Town” tour to the 2020 Illinois State Fair on Sunday night, Aug. 16, capping a full day of special activities for the state’s veterans on Veterans Day at the Fair. Craig Morgan, a U.S. Army veteran, will serve as Keith’s opening act.
Keith has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide during a career spanning 25 years. He has had 61 singles on Billboard’s Country Charts, including 20 No. 1 hit songs.
Hits like “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” and “As Good As I Once Was” have made Keith a can’t-miss country concert across the nation.
In addition, in what Keith himself describes as his most rewarding experiences, his 11 USO Tours to date have enhanced the lives of nearly 256,000 troops and military families in 18 countries with more than 285 events. He was recognized for his commitment with the Spirit of the USO Award in 2014.
Veteran Craig Morgan is best known for his hit single “That’s What I Love About Sunday,” but has had six songs — including “International Harvester” and “Bonfire” — reach the Billboard Chart’s top 10.
Country’s rising superstars also are slated to hit the Illinois Lottery Grandstand stage this year with Kane Brown headlining the concert on the Fair’s first full day, Friday, Aug. 14, and Chris Young performing on Tuesday night, Aug. 18.
Debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Kane Brown’s newest album “Experiment” was released in November 2018. The acclaimed singer/songwriter, who first rose to stardom on social media, released his first full-length album, self-titled “Kane Brown,” in December 2016.
The hit single “What Ifs” came from the album, and in October 2017, Brown became the first artist to have simultaneous number ones on all five main Billboard country charts.
Following a record year on the road in 2019 playing to more than 400,000 fans on his headlining tour, multi-platinum entertainer Chris Young will bring his arena and amphitheater “Town Ain’t Big Enough World Tour 2020” to Springfield on Tuesday, Aug. 18. Young will be joined by multi-platinum performer Scotty McCreery along with Payton Smith.
In what is sure to be one of the fair’s most hopping nights at the Grandstand, Wednesday, Aug. 19, features award-winning rapper, actor and producer LL Cool J.
A two-time Grammy Award winner, LL Cool J is best known for hip-hop favorites “Mama Said Knock You Out”, “Going Back to Cali” and “Hey Lover.”
In 2010, VH1 placed him on its “100 Greatest Artists of All Time” list, and in 2017, LL Cool J became the first rapper to be honored with the Kennedy Center Honors.
Yet another genre will be the highlight of Thursday night, Aug. 20, as legendary post-grunge alternative rock artists Puddle of Mudd and special guests Fuel, as well as Trapt and Tantric, will slash their way through their electric sets.
The fair is offering special pricing for this show, with all tickets — including seats in the grandstand and standing room only on the track — costing only $12 each.
With Puddle of Mudd having sold more than 7 million albums to date and having a string of No. 1 mainstream rock hits, including “Control” and “She Hates Me” off their triple-platinum album “Come Clean,” and with Fuel having their massive hit single “Shimmer,” and their second album hitting multi-platinum driven by the singles “Innocent” and “Hemorrhage,” which remained at No. 1 for 10 weeks, this is sure to be one rocking night at the fair with the additional support from Trapt and Tantric.
At an even greater bargain, The Traveling Salvation Show will play a free show on Senior Night at the Fair, Aug. 17. The Neil Diamond Tribute returns this year after inclement weather pushed up the start time of last year’s scheduled performance which caused many disappointed fans to miss this concert.
This up-tempo, rock-oriented tribute to the legendary Neil Diamond will have everyone dancing and singing along to all of Diamond’s classic hits.
Tickets will go on sale Saturday, April 25, during the Illinois State Fair’s “Corndog Kickoff” special event.
Illinois State Fair concerts
• Friday, Aug. 14 — Kane Brown: Track, $58; Tier 1, $48; Tier 2, $43; and Tier 3, $38.
• Sunday, Aug. 16 — Toby Keith with Craig Morgan: Track, $59; Tier 1, $49; Tier 2, $44; and Tier 3, $39.
• Monday, Aug. 17 — The Traveling Salvation Show: A Tribute to Neil Diamond: Free.
• Tuesday, Aug. 18 — Chris Young with Scotty McCreery and Payton Smith: Track, $47; Tier 1, $37; Tier 2, $32; and Tier 3, $27.
• Wednesday, Aug. 19 — LL Cool J: Track, $47; Tier 1, $37; Tier 2, $32; and Tier 3, $27.
• Thursday, Aug. 20 — Puddle of Mudd with Fuel, Trapt and Tantric: Track, $12; and Seating, $12. This concert will be general admission in both seating and track areas, but ticket buyers will need to decide when purchasing their tickets whether they want to be in grandstand seats or in standing room only on the track.