DES MOINES, Iowa — The 2023 Iowa State Fair has officially come and gone with more than 1 million visitors passing through the gates.
2023's total attendance number was 1,133,958. That makes this year's "Best Days Ever" the second-highest fair attendance on record, besting 2022 (1,118,763) and 2021 (1,094,480) but falling short of 2019's all-time record of 1,170,375.
After a strong 112,732 visitors on Saturday, the third-highest single-day attendance this year, attendance fell to 85,714 on Sunday, the final day of the fair.
The final Grandstand act of the 2023 fair, Jason Aldean, brought in 12,581 people. And the Day 10 Grandstand act The Chicks brought in the second-highest ticket sales of the fair with 17,219 attendees, falling just 64 attendees behind Eric Church's large crowd of 17,283 concertgoers on Day 4 (Sunday, Aug. 14).
Saturday and Sunday's attendance numbers may be have been affected by high temperatures in Des Moines. The area is currently under an excessive heat warning until 9 p.m. Friday. Under this warning, people are asked to refrain from outdoor activities and stay indoors as much as possible.
Iowa State Fair Attendance Totals (11 days)
- 2023: 1,133,958
- 2022: 1,118,763
- 2021: 1,094,480
- 2019: 1,170,375 (all-time record)
- 2018: 1,130,260
Local 5 and CW Iowa 23 are bringing exciting 2023 Iowa State Fair experiences to you, from live newscasts to an interactive Local 5 Weather Lab experience. Come see us in front of the Administration Building (Grand Concourse) each day between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.
The full 2023 Grandstand lineup was:
- Thursday, Aug. 10: For King & Country
- Friday, Aug. 11: Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line
- Saturday, Aug. 12: New Kids on the Block
- Sunday, Aug. 13: Eric Church
- Monday, Aug. 14: The Black Keys
- Tuesday, Aug. 15: Jeff Dunham: Still Not Canceled Tour
- Wednesday, Aug. 16: Lindsey Stirling
- Thursday, Aug. 17: Maren Morris
- Friday, Aug. 18: Ludacris
- Saturday, Aug. 19: The Chicks
- Sunday, Aug. 20: Jason Aldean
You can read attendance numbers below to see how 2023 compared to the last Iowa State Fair in 2022 and 2021.
Next year's fair is scheduled for Aug. 8-18, 2024.
Day 11
- 2023 — 85,714
- Grandstand (Jason Aldean): 12,581
- 2022 — 101,846
- 2021 — 99,991
- 2019 — 105,585
- 2018 — 114,492
Day 10
- 2023 — 112,732
- Grandstand (The Chicks): 17,219
- 2022 — 128,298 (single-day attendance record)
- 2021 — 117,764
- 2019 — 119,276
- 2018 — 117,062
Day 9
- 2023 — 112,048
- Grandstand (Ludacris): 13,842
- 2022 — 93,348
- 2021 — 101,952
- 2019 — 112,891
- 2018 — 102,447
Day 8
- 2023 — 101,475
- Grandstand (Maren Morris): 6,183
- 2022 — 99, 715
- 2021 — 96,064
- 2019 — 104,247
- 2018 — 99,090
Day 7
- 2023 — 98,751
- Grandstand (Lindsey Stirling): 5,930
- 2022 — 97,901
- 2021 — 91,510
- 2019 — 109,323
- 2018 — 102,843
Day 6
- 2023 — 101,244
- Grandstand (Jeff Dunham): 7,644
- 2022 — 99,965
- 2021 — 90,688
- 2019 — 102,953
- 2018 — 92,440
Day 5
- 2023 — 100,214
- Grandstand (The Black Keys): 5,482
- 2022 — 87,599
- 2021 — 95,621
- 2019 — 97,682
- 2018 — 95,666
Day 4
- 2023 — 114,937
- Grandstand (Eric Church): 17,283
- 2022 — 110,661
- 2021 — 107,410
- 2019 — 108,283
- 2018 — 104,270
Day 3
- 2023 — 118,286
- Grandstand (New Kids on the Block): 9,481
- 2022 — 113,012
- 2021 — 111, 603
- 2019 — 122,111
- 2018 — 116,583
Day 2
- 2023 — 101,177
- Grandstand (Tyler Hubbard): 7,140
- 2022 — 103,556
- 2021 — 104,177
- 2019 — 103,096
- 2018 — 103,419
Day 1
- 2023 — 87.380
- Grandstand (For King & Country): 9,480
- 2022 — 82,862
- 2021 — 77,700
- 2019 — 105,585
- 2018 — 81,948