Hairball replaces canceled Rod Stewart concert for Minnesota State Fair Grandstand stage
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
The Great Minnesota Get-Together will be here before we know it. Here are the acts have that are scheduled for the State Fair’s annual Grandstand shows.
Hairball with special guest Slave Raider replaces canceled Rod Stewart concert
The Minnesota State Fair will host the ‘80s rock tribute band Hairball with special guest Slave Raider.
The tribute band recreates the sounds of Van Halen, KISS, Mötley Crüe and Queen, transforming the stage into an ever-changing tribute to rock history.
Slave Raider was an American heavy metal band formed in 1985 and is known for over-the-top anticts, heavy makeup and glam song lyrics. Slave Raider had a sizable following in the Twin Cities known as “The Raid.” The band recorded three albums in the the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, and won all four heavy-metal honors at the Minnesota Music Awards in 1986.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
The performance is free and open to all general admission fairgoers on Tuesday, Sept. 1. The venue will open at 6 p.m. with the show starting at 7 p.m. Learn more about this performance at the State Fair website.
The Hairball concert fills the gap left after Rod Stewart canceled his upcoming tour dates, including the Sept. 1 concert at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand. According to a statement from Stewart, he will take the next few weeks to recuperate following a routine coronary stent procedure, on the advice of his doctors.
Minnesota State Fair concert ticket sales have been suspended and refunds will be issued for the Stewart concert.
Find out more at the State Fair website.
CeCe Winans brings ‘More Than This World Tour’ to Grandstand Concert Series
CeCe Winans, gospel music’s best-selling female artist of all time, will perform on the Grandstand on the fair’s final day on Sept. 7.
Her career spans 18 Grammy Awards, 33 Dove Awards and 19 Stellar Gospel Music Awards, and she is inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
Her current album, “More Than This,” features the award-winning single “That’s My King.” Her first live recording “Believe For It” has over 1 billion U.S. streams, and in 2023, her entire catalog has over 2 billion impressions on YouTube.
Tickets go on sale on Friday, June 5 at 10 a.m., and prices range from $37-49.25 or $47-59.25 for Party Deck tickets.
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, ‘Homecoming: A Celebration of the Minneapolis Sound’
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis will host the “Homecoming: A Celebration of the Minneapolis Sound” concert on Aug. 29.
The pair are iconic producers and songwriters who have worked with Prince, Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson and other stars. They’ve received over 100 ASCAP awards, and have been nominated for the Grammy’s Producer of the Year 11 times since their first win in 1987.
“I’ve been attending the Minnesota State Fair every year since I was a kid, so returning home to perform this year is a dream come true,” Jimmy Jam said in a statement.
Johnny Gill, Ralph Tresvant, Morris Day and Jerome Benton of The Time, Jordan Knight from New Kids On The Block, Yolanda Adams, Stokley, Ann Nesby and Sounds of Blackness, Ruben Studdard and Shanice Wilson are all expected to perform.
Tickets are available now. Prices range from $64 to $98.75 or $84 to $97.75 for Party Deck tickets.
Brad Paisley with special guest Avery Anna
Country music performer Brad Paisley will perform with special guest Avery Anna on Thursday, Sept. 3 for the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand concert series.
Paisley’s career has earned him three Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, 15 Academy of Country Music Awards and 14 Country Music Association Awards. He was recently inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Avery Anna is an up-and-coming country star with a new EP titled “forgive, forget.” In 2025, her sophomore album, “let go letters,” was named one of the 50 best albums of 2025 by Billboard magazine.
Tickets for the concert go on sale April 10 at 10 a.m. The cost for a ticket ranges from $82 to $98.75 for general admission pit with no seating, $52 to $87.25 for all reserved seating seats, and $100 to $113.75 for Party Deck tickets.
TLC and Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue
TLC and Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue will perform at the Grandstand on Saturday, Sep. 5 at 7 p.m.
With four multiplatinum albums and over 30 major music awards — including five Grammys — the Atlanta trio TLC has hits from “Waterfalls,” “Creep,” “No Scrubs” and “Unpretty.”
The groundbreaking duo of Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton brought fun, femininity and authenticity to a genre often dominated by men. Their catalog includes “Push It,” Expression,” “Shoop,” and “Independent.”
En Vogue ranks among Billboard’s Top 10 Most Successful Girl Groups of all time, with hits like “Whatta Man.” En Vogue’s music helped redefine contemporary R&B with classic harmonies and hip-hop edge.
Tickets for the concert are on sale now. Prices range from a starting range of $59 to $90.25 or from $114 to $127.75 for the party deck tickets.
Tommy James & The Shondells
Tommy James & The Shondells with special guest Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone will be Monday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m.
Tommy James has been in the music industry for nearly six decades. His band started in Michigan and rose to fame in the 60s and 70s. Hits include “Crystal Blue Persuasion,” “Crimson & Clover,” “Mony Mony,” “I Think We're Alone Now,” “Sweet Cherry Wine,” “Hanky Panky,” “Mirage,” “Three Times in Love” and “Draggin' the Line.”
His music is featured in more than 65 movies and 53 TV shows, according to the Minnesota State Fair.
Herman’s Hermits is an English pop rock band that formed in the 1960s, with Peter Noone on lead vocals. Hits include “I’m Into Something Good,” “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter,” “I’m Henry VIII, I Am,” “Silhouettes” and “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat.”
Tickets are on sale now. The pricing ranges from $33 to $43.75, or $43 to $53.75 for the Grandstand party deck.
The Current’s Music On-A-Stick Show
The Current’s Music On-A-Stick Show will feature Sierra Ferrell: Heavy Petal Tour at the Grandstand Stage on Sunday, Aug. 30.
Since the release of her 2024 album “Trail of Flowers,” the West Virginia-born singer and instrumentalist took home Artist of the Year and Album of the Year prizes at the Americana Honors and Awards and won four Grammy awards.
Tickets are available now and will range from $46-81.25 or $87-99.25 for the party deck. Sierra Ferrell has partnered with PLUS1 so that $1 from every ticket sold goes to support the National Immigration Law Center.
Bonnie Raitt to open State Fair Grandstand concert series
The Minnesota State Fair announced in January that Bonnie Raitt will open the 2026 Grandstand concert series on Thursday, Aug. 27.
Raitt and her band expanded live tour dates to include opening for the State Fair. A singer, songwriter and guitarist with a unique style blending blues, R&B, rock and pop, Raitt broke through to the top in the early ‘90s with her Grammy-award winning albums “Nick of Time” and “Luck of the Draw,” which featured songs including “Something to Talk About.”
She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 and was named one of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” by Rolling Stone magazine.
Tickets are on sale now and range from $46-81.25 and $87-99.25 for the party deck. The price includes a $1 charity fee per ticket to benefit the ARIA Foundation.
‘Weird Al’ returns to Minnesota State Fair Grandstand
“Weird Al” Yankovic was the first show announced in November, with special guest Puddles Pity Party. The show is a part of Yankovic’s Bigger & Weirder Tour, which has 90 stops in North America.
Tickets are on sale now and range from $54 to $89.25 for reserved seating and $74 to $87.75 for the party deck.
Yankovic first performed at the State Fair in 1987 when he opened for The Monkees and has returned several times over the years for fairgoers.
All tickets can be purchased at etix.com or by calling 800-514-3849.
The 2026 Minnesota State Fair will run from Aug. 27 to Sept. 7.
Check back for show information as the line up is announced.
