By Illinois Radio Network/Benjamin Yount
SPRINGFIELD – Concerts at the Illinois State Fair Grandstand this year didn’t do quite as well as hoped. Overall, the Grandstand took a loss. The concerts at the Springfield venue wound up losing $210,000.
Illinois State Fair Manager Luke Sailer said that was mainly due to bad weather forcing the cancellation of country star Thomas Rhett’s show. He said grandstand ticket sales are just one aspect of revenue in the entertainment budget and that parking, concession sales and other money spent by those attending the concerts help balance the books.
“Even though the grandstand, we didn’t get the money back there, ultimately we still recouped our funds,” Sailer said. “Unfortunately, without the Thomas Rhett concert, we were about $200,000 off. That $200,000 is made up in our beer percentages and our parking admission.”
Some years, country acts make the most money, while rock ’n’ roll bands bring in the biggest crowds other years. Sailer said that’s why it’s hard to gauge which acts will be the biggest money makers from year to year.
“We have a budget we have to adhere to, and we try to do our best to bring in the best entertainment we can to Springfield, but it’s a tough market.”
The biggest sales in 2017 came from a heavy metal band and an a cappella singing group. Sailer said there are some big-name acts that they’d love to go after, but that budgeting won’t allow.
“People are on a budget and the state is on a budget and people want to spend their hard-earned money and get the most bang for their buck, and that’s what we try to do each and every year here at the Illinois State Fair,” he said
Last year, the Illinois State Fair Grandstand set a record selling 59,000 tickets for concerts. This year, the best-selling act was a country music concert featuring Luke Combs. Five other shows lost money.
