KCCI Investigates: Iowa State Fair had a record Grandstand year. How did it do it?

DES MOINES, Iowa —

From contemporary Christian's Forrest Frank to rap's Pitbull or country icon Hank Williams Jr.

The initial response to this 2025 Iowa State Fair Grandstand concert lineup did not add up to a record-setting 130,000-plus tickets sold, says Iowa State Fair CEO Jeremy Parsons.

"It was probably panned more than any," he says. "And by 'panned,' I mean very negative response to the lineup, quite frankly."

The total ticket number this year: 131,755 tickets.

It taught the state fair staff something.

"I think we really learned how diverse Iowans are about their musical tastes," Parsons says. "It ended up being the most successful lineup in history."

That lineup brought surprises.

"We had some heavy hitters in this year's lineup — Def Leppard, Rascal Flatts," Parsons says.