Watch 2025 Ohio State Fair: Things you need to know
The 2025 Ohio State Fair will have many new features like chainsaw carving and free concerts.
- A variety of paid and free concerts will be offered during the 2025 Ohio State Fair, which runs July 23-Aug. 3.
- Headliners include KIDZ BOP, Foreigner, T-Pain, AJR and Trace Adkins, among others.
- Paid concert tickets include admission to the fair.
Columbus, are you ready to rock?
Or would you rather “Shake it Off” Swiftie style? Perhaps time-travel back to 1983 and do “The Bird”?
Whatever your footwork of choice (or maybe you’re just a head-bobber), the chance to groove and bust a move to the sounds of world-known and homegrown artists will be yours at the Ohio State Fair.
With 10 paid concerts and a brimming schedule of free performances offering a medley of musical styles, the fair runs from July 23-Aug. 3 at the Ohio Expo Center, 717 E. 17th Ave.
Here’s the lowdown on who’s coming to the fair, plus some entertaining and informative tidbits of information!
Seeing stars: Big acts span several genres
The Ohio State Fair will kick off its paid concert series with a family-friendly act that’s perfect for your little pop star’s first live show.
Sanitized for your protection, KIDZ BOP will perform G-rated covers of pop hits at 6:30 p.m. July 23. (Who wants to bet they’ll sing Chappell Roan’s ubiquitous “Pink Pony Club”?)
Whether you’re “Hot Blooded” or “Cold as Ice,” you’ll want to be front and center at 7 p.m. July 24, when jukebox heroes Foreigner comes to the fair for the second time since 2022.
The band’s lead singer, Kelly Hansen, announced in May his plans to leave Foreigner after their summer tour, when he’ll pass the mic to guitarist Luis Maldonado.
Flap your arms and squawk as Morris Day and The Time heat up the stage with hits like “The Bird” and “Jungle Love” at 7 p.m. July 26, with special guest Con Funk Shun.
If Day looks familiar, you’re probably Gen X or a Prince fan — or both. With The Time, the 1980s funkmaster had a starring role as a musical rival of The Kid (Prince) in “Purple Rain.”
See Morris Day and The Time at the fair
At 7 p.m. July 30, tune in — or rather, Auto-Tune in — to T-Pain, whose electronic-style vocals influenced artists such as Lil Wayne and Kanye West. The rapper’s special guest will be DJ Montay.
T-Pain showed off his considerable singing skills in 2023 with “On Top of the Covers.” The non-Auto-Tuned album features renditions of songs by artists including Chris Stapleton, Sam Cooke, Journey, Frank Sinatra and Black Sabbath.
August will start with a “Bang!” — which just happens to be the name of the biggest hit by AJR, who will perform at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 1 with special guest Valley.
An acronym for the first initials of founding brothers Adam, Jack and Ryan Met (née Metzger), AJR’s breakthrough came after Ryan tweeted a link to a video of their first single, “I’m Ready,” to some 80 celebrities, including “Chandelier” singer Sia.
After Sia told her manager about the song, he contacted Steve Greenberg, founder and CEO of S-Curve Records, who became the band’s manager for a time.
Country superstar Trace Adkins’ “What Color’s Your Wild” tour will stop at the fair for a concert at 7 p.m. Aug. 2. Special guest Alex Miller will open.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of his line dance-inspiring megahit, “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk,” Adkins teamed up with Dutch-born electronic dance musician Moonlght and country-meets-EDM artist Country Night on a remix of the song, released in May.
Stage names: More notable acts
The paid concert series also will feature an award-winning contemporary Christian artist, a stand-up comic and some stars on the rise, including:
See Warren Zeiders at the fair
- Tauren Wells, host of the Gospel Music Association’s Dove Awards for the last three years and former tourmate of Lionel Richie and Mariah Carey, with special guest Josiah Queen; 7 p.m. July 28
- Comedian-actor Leanne Morgan, whose self-titled sitcom is set to premiere on Netflix on July 31; 7:30 p.m. July 29
- Quinn XCII and Chelsea Cutler, frequent collaborators on tracks including the gold-certified “Flare Guns” and “Stay Next to Me”; 7 p.m. July 31
See Quinn XCII and Chelsea Cutler
The free zone: These concerts won’t cost you
There’s no price tag on these performances and you won’t need a ticket to enter and enjoy:
- All-Ohio State Fair Band & Youth Choir, 1 p.m. July 27
- “Let’s Sing Taylor,” an unofficial live tribute to the music of Taylor Swift, 7 p.m. July 27
- 16 Candles, ‘80s pop show by Chicago-based band, 1 p.m. July 29 (Senior Day)
The paid concerts and the three free shows will be held in the air-conditioned comfort of the WCOL Celeste Center at the fairgrounds.
Concert tickets bought in advance include admission to the fair. Children 2 and younger will be admitted to paid concerts for free when sitting on an adult’s lap.
The home team: Lots of local talent in store
If you’re craving even more ear candy, a full slate of other free entertainment will satisfy your musical sweet tooth. Three stages will showcase more than 20 acts, most of them Columbus-based, as well as musicians from other regions of Ohio and a fair favorite that returns each year from Atlanta.
From cover artists and tribute bands to neo-soul and roadhouse rock ‘n’ roll, daily performances will take place on the Ohio Lottery Gazebo Stage and in the Natural Resources Park Amphitheater and Taste of Ohio Pavilion & Beer Garden.
For more details about entertainment at the Ohio State Fair, visit ohiostatefair.com.
Entertainment and Things to Do reporter Belinda M. Paschal can be reached at [email protected].
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.dispatch.com ’
