New York State Fair 2026: who’s playing this year?

The 2026 New York State Fair runs Aug. 26–Sept. 7 with more than 40 free concerts at Chevy Court and Suburban Park, capped by Third Eye Blind on Aug. 29. Highlights include The Commodores, Quiet Riot, Flo Rida, Hinder, Ashanti, ZZ Top, Melissa Etheridge and Robin Thicke. Fair admission covers Chevrolet Music Series shows for fairgoers.

Key Takeaways

• The Great New York State Fair opens Aug. 26 and runs through Sept. 7, 2026, in Syracuse.
• Third Eye Blind closes the concert announcements with an 8 p.m. Aug. 29 Suburban Park set—the band’s first fair performance.
• Hinder replaces Aly & AJ at Chevy Court on Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. after a scheduling conflict.
• Adult admission is $8; kids under 12 and seniors 65+ get in free, and Chevy Court/Suburban Park shows are included.
• The Chevrolet Music Series mixes ’90s alt-rock, classic hits, country, R&B and pop across both stages.

Who’s playing at the New York State Fair in 2026?

If you are hunting the full picture of who is on stage at the New York State Fair this year, start with the Chevrolet Music Series at Chevy Court and Suburban Park. Syracuse.com reports more than 40 concerts are scheduled across the 12-day run, and the fair has now completed its 2026 announcement cycle with a nostalgia-heavy closer.

Opening day alone stacks decades of radio gold: The Commodores at 1 p.m., Quiet Riot at 6 p.m. and All-American Rejects at 8 p.m. on Aug. 26. The next stretch keeps the “then and now” vibe going with The Calling, country act Cooper Alan and dancehall star Sean Paul on Aug. 27, then Brandy Clark, Melissa Etheridge and DJ Pretty Mess (Erika Jayne) on Aug. 28.

Weekend anchors include Maddox Batson and Third Eye Blind on Aug. 29, Gym Class Heroes, Air Supply and Flo Rida on Aug. 30, and Hinder plus Ashanti on Aug. 31. Labor Day week brings Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone, Scotty McCreery, Wilson Phillips, Priscilla Block, Tori Kelly, Jesse McCartney and ZZ Top, then Better Than Ezra, Braxton Keith, Violent Femmes and a Shrek Rave before Robin Thicke closes Suburban Park on Sept. 6.

Why does Third Eye Blind cap the 2026 lineup?

Fair director Julie LaFave said officials wanted the final concert announcement to “leave fans on a high note.” Third Eye Blind plays Suburban Park at 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, sealing a Chevrolet Music Series that mixes legendary acts, fan favorites and newer talent.

Formed in San Francisco in 1993, the band peaked in the late 1990s with its self-titled 1997 album—home to “Semi-Charmed Life”—which sold more than six million copies and spent more than 100 weeks on the Billboard 200. Other signature hits include “Jumper,” “How’s It Going to Be” and “Never Let You Go.” The group has released 10 studio albums and sold more than 12 million records worldwide.

They were booked for the 2021 New York State Fair but cancelled and were replaced by The Roots. Syracuse.com notes this will be their first performance at the fair. The booking lands squarely in nostalgia territory for millennials who grew up on late-’90s alternative rock and still sing every chorus.

What changed with Hinder and Aly & AJ?

Earlier in the same announcement window, the fair confirmed multi-platinum rock band Hinder will perform Monday, Aug. 31, at 6 p.m. on Chevy Court. Official fair materials highlight the group’s enduring hit “Lips of an Angel,” the triple-platinum debut Extreme Behavior, follow-up Take It to the Limit and newer album Back to Life.

Hinder is stepping in for Aly & AJ, the sister pop-rock duo who rose through the Disney Channel era and had to cancel because of a scheduling conflict. For fairgoers planning a full Monday, Ashanti still headlines Suburban Park at 8 p.m. the same night.

That swap matters for anyone who planned around Disney-era pop nostalgia and now gets mid-2000s rock radio instead—another classic then-and-now pivot on the same Chevy Court stage.

How much do New York State Fair concerts cost?

All Chevrolet Music Series concerts—including Chevy Court and Suburban Park—are included with fair admission. The Great New York State Fair bills itself as the most affordable state fair in the country: tickets are $8 for adults, with free entry for children under 12 and senior citizens aged 65 and older.

Seating is first come, first seated, so arrive early for the biggest names. Check the fair’s concert policy before you go, especially if you are packing chairs, bags or signs for a packed Suburban Park night.

For readers who love tracing pop culture across decades—from Commodores funk and Quiet Riot metal to ’90s alt anthems and 2000s rock radio—this lineup is a living nostalgia then-and-now playlist under one midway sky.

Bottom line: the 2026 New York State Fair concert slate is locked, Third Eye Blind is the final headliner announcement, Hinder fills the Aug. 31 Chevy Court slot, and your $8 adult ticket is the price of the music.