5/19/2023 0 Comments Hang glider carnival rideThe other top selling shows were Reba McEntire with special guest Chase Bryant (14,102) and Florida Georgia Line with special guest Jillian Jacqueline (11,817).īut even with a bigger and better concert venue – and what is tantamount to a reliable followings for Iowa State Fair shows by both audience and performer – booking fair entertainment remains challenging with a persistent and apparently worsening sellers’ market. The 11 shows at the fair were well attended, and they even had one sell out Thomas Rhett with special guest Danielle Bradbery (15,775). Concrete was still being poured two days before opening day, according to Slater, the new grandstands were ready. We needed to enlarge for the comfort of the customers, and they appreciated it.”Ĭonstruction on the grandstands continued throughout the summer, overcoming some weather delays and even a sheet metal worker strike. “We have a lot of competition, but people still appreciate the Iowa State Fair Grandstands. But instead of moving away from headline entertainment, the grandstand enhancement was done with the Iowa Fairgoer in mind and the fact that fair entertainment is a unique and viable entertainment in today’s concert going landscape. We can now get those acts and not have to apologize for our production values or raise the cost of the ticket to the customer.”Ī motivating factor has been the increase in festivals in the area as well as the Wells Fargo Bank Arena across town, a Live Nation venue. That allowed us to amortize the costs of the project while attracting higher priced acts. Upgrading by itself doesn’t work, we needed to improve the stage and add seats because of the rising costs of entertainment. “There wasn’t enough room for a lot of the production by some acts with the level of audio and video and props and instruments. “Some entertainers were passing on our offers because our stage was antiquated and smaller in size,” said Gary Slater. The overhaul included modernizing of concessionaires, restrooms and the stage in addition to expanding from 10,500 to 14,500 seats and improving sightlines throughout the venue. The Iowa State Fair decided to go in the opposite direction, reaffirming its commitment to headline entertainment as part of its overall package by a comprehensive renovation of its grandstand. Some fairs have found that fairgoers either balk at the extra ticket price, find that free shows featuring local acts and/or tribute bands are a lower-cost alternative, or that the motor sports and other spectacles, given the unrelenting seller’s market dominating todays concert booking environment are better alternatives There remains hope that the ticketed grandstand shows can still be financially viable as well as augment attendance. Is big name entertainment still a viable option for state fairs?Ī grandstand-filling fair staple for decades, more recently rising costs ranging from musician fees, commissions and improved production values – a scenario compounded by increased competition for similar acts by festivals, casinos and other venues have caused many fairs to reconsider how best to utilize their grandstands.
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