IBJNews

State fair rolls out concert lineup, strategy

Back to TopCommentsE-mailPrint

The Indiana State Fair hopes to preserve attendance that’s traditionally tied to big-name concerts even though the events will take place downtown this year.

While announcing this year's concert lineup Monday morning, the fair also said people who buy tickets to the shows at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse will receive a ticket to the fair that they can use any day of the Aug. 3-19 run of the event.

The fair will provide shuttles from the fairgrounds to downtown, but spokesman Andy Klotz said organizers expect most people to drive themselves to the concerts.

The fair announced four major concerts Monday morning: Barry Manilow on Aug. 3, Train on Aug. 4, Journey with Pat Benatar and Loverboy on Aug. 8, and Blake Shelton on Aug. 17.

Last year, six major concerts were scheduled for the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand at the fairgrounds, but two were called off in the wake of the stage collapse that killed seven people.

Fair concerts will be conducted downtown until 2014, then moved to Pepsi Colisum at the fairgrounds after it is renovated.

Klotz said moving the shows downtown shouldn’t affect the fair’s bottom line. The fair’s goal is always to break even on grandstand shows, he said, though they have turned a profit in the past.

“We could still very easily turn a profit,” he said.

Concert capacity at Banker’s Life will be 10,000 to 13,500, depending on the stage setup, according to Pacers Sports & Entertainment. That’s less than the grandstand, which holds about 15,000 people, including open-air seating on the racetrack in front of the stage.

About 12,000 people were in attendance for the country duo Sugarland when high winds toppled the stage rigging Aug. 13, Klotz said.

ADVERTISEMENT

  • out the door
    if they move downtown,the trsffic will disappear.if i go downtown to an event why would i want to go into the fairgrounds? most people spend money waiting on the concerts. no concert no traffic.
  • why not
    why don't they just make the structure that is the stage a permnant one with real walls so they can continue outdoor concerts

Post a comment to this story

COMMENTS POLICY
We reserve the right to remove any post that we feel is obscene, profane, vulgar, racist, sexually explicit, abusive, or hateful.
 
You are legally responsible for what you post and your anonymity is not guaranteed.
 
Posts that insult, defame, threaten, harass or abuse other readers or people mentioned in IBJ editorial content are also subject to removal. Please respect the privacy of individuals and refrain from posting personal information.
 
No solicitations, spamming or advertisements are allowed. Readers may post links to other informational websites that are relevant to the topic at hand, but please do not link to objectionable material.
 
We may remove messages that are unrelated to the topic, encourage illegal activity, use all capital letters or are unreadable.
 

Messages that are flagged by readers as objectionable will be reviewed and may or may not be removed. Please do not flag a post simply because you disagree with it.

Sponsored by
ADVERTISEMENT

facebook - twitter on Facebook & Twitter

Follow on TwitterFollow IBJ on Facebook:
Follow on TwitterFollow IBJ's Tweets on these topics:
 
Subscribe to IBJ
  1. Saw the Indy Men's Chorus "Music of Gilbert & Sullivan" at the Indiana Historical Society on Sunday evening.

  2. Temporary workers are not "tools" they are people and companies that keep large amounts of temp staff are cheating.

  3. I miss having them around. I hope one of their stores is in the general Meridian/86th Street area. I will make good use of it.

  4. The Fringe! Plus, the simple fact that there are so many local faves in such close proximity to each other.

  5. I remenber, watching the toll road, being built, through South Bend, when I was 10 years old. I believe, back then that it was estimated, that the toll road, would be paid for in 20 years and then it would be free. I am now 71, what happened? Since the power is in the people, by that, I mean that, we the people are in total control of everything. I, suggest that no one ever use the toll road again, let it go broke. We the people can control the price of everything, from groceries to gas, if we would just do it. If we don't pay the asking price, the sellers will lower the price and if we wait awhile, they will lower the price to what we accept as reasonable. I would like to know why a highway like interstate 94, is so well maintained, a much better highway, than the toll road, but has no tolls. I would also like to know why, a sitting governor, with a term limit, maximum of eight years, can lease, public property, for 75 years. Even though I have transponders in both of my trucks and will not be affected by the increase, I have been and will contine to avoid using the toll road. I make many trips from northern Indiana to Chicago, every year, and I prefer the better highway, I94!

ADVERTISEMENT