Kansas State Fair concert ticket sales are hot, hint at success for 2025 event
If early ticket sales for this year’s Kansas State Fair grandstand are any indication — and they usually are — it’s going to be a good 2025, says general manager Bryan Schulz.
Speaking just after Labor Day, Schulz said that the fair was sitting at 121% of “show paid” for both its grandstand and free-stage concerts. Translation: The fair — which opens in Hutchinson on Friday — has had so many people pre-purchase tickets for this year’s grandstand shows that the fair has already covered its concert expenses then added an additional 21% in profit.
The numbers usually aren’t quite that high, especially that far out from opening day, Schulz said, adding that last year, the fair finished at 114% of “show paid.” Not only that, he said, but pre-sales for Midway tickets also are strong this year.
Both are a good indication, he said, that people will likely turn out in numbers for this year’s fair, which runs through Sept. 14.
Another good sign for 2025, Schulz said: Even though attendance at the 2024 fair was slightly down from the previous year, reports show that it was down by only .04% — from 330,000 people in 2023 to just shy of 229,000 in 2024. But financially, the fair was up, Schulz said, which leads him to believe that the numbers from last year were a bit off — a belief bolstered by the fact that some of the fair's ticket scanners were malfunctioning.
His staff, he said, believes that numbers were actually up last year, especially when they look at the bottom line.
“Financially, we did great,” he said. “We saw increases across the board.”
Now that opening day 2025 has arrived, it’s up to Mother Nature how this year’s fair turns out, Schulz said. If temperatures remain in the 70s and low 80s — as they are forecast to early next week — and if the rain stays away, Schulz said, he predicts the fair will easily hit its goal of drawing 330,000 to 340,000 this year.
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“It’s all going to come down to weather,” Schulz said. “I have family that works up the Nebraska State Fair, and they saw between a 15% and 20% increase. A lot of my peers across the country are seeing increases. So I think people are just excited about getting out and getting back to the fairs. I think it’ll be a good thing for us.”
Grand grandstand lineup
What made the grandstand such a draw this year? Schulz said part of it is a stellar lineup, he said.
The most popular concert so far is the Sept. 12 show featuring rapper Ludacris, which as of Tuesday had sold nearly 5,500 tickets, Schulz said, It’s followed closely by comedian Jeff Dunham’s Saturday show, which has sold more than 5,000 tickets. Another strong seller: The Sept. 10 Christian concert featuring Josiah Queen with Ben Fuller, which has sold more than 4,000 tickets.
Other grandstand shows that are seeing strong ticket sales, too, he said, including tonight’s concert by country artists Sam Barber and Avery Anna; Sunday’s show by country singer Josh Turner with Jason Scott & The High Heat; the Sept. 11 show by 1980s tribute act Hairball; and the Sept. 13 concert by alternative rockers The Fray with Plain White T’s.
“This year, I think with the lineup that we’ve got, I think people are pre-buying,” Schulz said.
The grandstand, which has a capacity of around 10,000, will be the site of a big-name concert each day of the fair except for Monday, when the annual Demolition Derby will be staged, and Tuesday, when it will feature pro wrestling.
The full grandstand lineup and links to ticket sales can be found at www.kansasstatefair.com/location/nex-tech-grandstand
What’s new in 2025?
Schulz said that fairgoers will find several improvements to the fairgrounds this year, both in terms of infrastructure and attention to safety.
They’ll also find new foods, new shows and new attractions.
Here’s a look at some of the other 2025 Kansas State Fair highlights that Schulz pointed out:
CRAZY FAIR FOODS: As always, the fair’s food vendors will be cooking up some unusual delicacies. Among them: a truffle burger sold at Carrie’s Beer Garden at 403 Grandstand Ave.; a corn dog filled with pulled pork sold at Pop’s Place, 315 Grandstand Ave.; and cookie butter beignets as well as lobster corn dogs served at the Waddle Wagon, 405 Grandstand Ave.
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On “Tasty Tuesday,” which is Sept. 9, participating food vendors will be offering food tastings for $2 each. That’s also the day that Schulz — a self-proclaimed corn dog fanatic — will be touring the fairgrounds and sampling every corn dog or Pronto Pup. He thinks there are around 12.
Another big food development: After a five-year absence because of health issues, the fair’s saltwater taffy vendor is making a return this year. Many flavors of taffy will be for sale at the fair’s official merchandise booth across from the Old Mill and in The 1861 Club.
People can find a searchable guide to fair food on the Kansas State Fair app’s food finder.
NEW THINGS TO DO: Each year, the fair hires entertainers to put on daily shows in Gottschalk Park. This year, it’s going to squeeze two different acts into the park.
One is the “It’s Showtime” circus, which features motorcycle stunts, BMX riders and aerial acrobats. The other act is called “Cowboy Circus,” an interactive cowboy show that includes lasso tricks, music, and comedy.
Fairgoers will also encounter several roving acts as they stroll through the fairgrounds. Returning this year are both a strolling DJ and a strolling piano player, and the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile will be on the grounds Monday and Tuesday.
Also, Sesame Street’s Road Trip Across America will stop at the fair Friday through Sunday and will allow kids to pose for photos and interact with different characters.
FAIRGROUND IMPROVEMENTS: Schulz said that, since last year’s fair, the grounds have gotten lots of lighting upgrades.
Crews also have made progress on the transformation of the Bison Arena on the north edge of the fairgrounds, which was closed in 2019 because it was not ADA compliant. They’re turning it into a state-of-the-art Ag Innovation Center, an education facility that will have interactive learning opportunities meant to teach people where their food comes from. The fair wants to be able to use the center year-round for programs that teach children about agriculture.
The upgrade of the building’s exterior will be complete by the time fairgoers step onto the grounds this year. The next phase of the project, which will be complete by next year’s fair, involves converting nearly 13,000 of the 41,000 square feet inside the building into usable space. The center will be completed as money is raised, Schulz said.
One of the biggest changes people will notice this year is the remodeling of the Peoples Bank and Trust Arena, an open-air pavilion on the west side of the fairgrounds where free concerts as well as performances by a comic hypnotist are staged each year. Previously, the pavilion’s stage and bleachers were covered by a temporary carnival tent. But now, it’s covered with a permanent canopy system.
“This will give them even more protection, and now we can use it year-round,” Schulz said.
SAFETY UPGRADES: Schulz said that improving safety on the fairgrounds continues to be a priority. Last year, he said, the fair installed “vehicle mitigation systems” at gates No. 1 and No. 3. They setups include concrete blocks that have arms that raise and lower and are designed to keep vehicles from speeding toward pedestrians and gates. This year, the system will be added to gate No. 7 as well.
The fair also has increased lighting and set up cameras in its parking lots, and it’s added three crosswalk areas on State Fair Road. They include 15-foot-tall feather flags meant to grab pedestrians’ attention and lead them to safe crossing areas. Additionally, the fair will put pylons in the center of the roads reminding drivers that state law requires them to stop for pedestrians.
A couple of years ago, a couple was hit while walking on State Fair Road on a drizzly day, and although that incident is not the sole reason for the safety upgrades, Schulz said, it’s a good reminder of why they’re needed. The fair created a safety committee made up of police, fire, sheriff, EMS and highway patrol representatives that gets together several times a year to revise its plans.
“Something we really, really look at is making sure that when people come here they feel safe,” he said.
MONEY-SAVING OPPORTUNITIES: The fair has again kept gate prices steady this year, Schulz said. Admission will be the same as last year: $10 for adults, $6 for ages 60 and over and for ages 6-12; and free for ages 5 and under.
Event organizers also try to offer several money-saving opportunities, and that’s true again this year. Among them: People 55 and older get in for $2 today; People who have Dillons Plus Cards get in for free on Monday (one person per card), and everyone else pays $1; Admission is $4 after 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and $5 after 9 p.m. every day.
RETURNING FAVORITES: Fair-goers should check the fair’s app (or, for old schoolers, the schedule on the Kansas State Fair website) to find times and locations for favorite annual attractions, including the butter sculpture, the pig races, Dr. Goddard’s Lab, comic hypnotist Ron Diamond, the petting zoo, the chainsaw artist, cooking contests, the big slide, the State Fair railroad, Ye Old Mill, the Sky Ride, boat rides, the giant pumpkins, the birthing center and more.
KANSAS STATE FAIR
When: Sept. 5-Sept. 14
Where: Kansas State Fairgrounds, 2000 N. Poplar Hutchinson
Admission: Gate admission starting on Friday is $10 for adults, $6 for children ages 6-12 and for seniors 60 and over, $4 for military members with ID. Tickets are available on the Kansas State Fair 2025 app, at the gate, at Dillons stores and at www.kansasstatefair.com
Midway tickets: Midway “FunTagg” cards include 65 virtual tickets on a refillable, non-expiring, credit-card style card. It will replace paper tickets and cost $32 at the Midway Ticket Booths. Additional rides may be added onto the card during the fair. There will also be six “wristband” days during the fair: on Sept. 5, Sept. 8-12 and Sept. 14. Wristbands are $35 and good for all rides all day.
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