The 20 most epic Arizona State Fair concerts since 2000

Blockbuster concerts at the Arizona State Fair are as much a staple as corn dogs and cattle. Marquee acts have been shaking the walls of the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the fairgrounds since the 1960s.

People still regularly take to social media platforms to chat about the best or most interesting shows they saw while attending the Arizona State Fair. Every year, we can’t wait to see who is on the schedule.

There have been plenty of gigs to discuss over the past six decades. More than 750 shows have taken place at the fair since the concert series debuted and many have been memorable affairs.

While early lineups leaned heavily toward country through the ’70s. By the ’80s, the mix shifted to pop, hip-hop and rock, with throwback acts sprinkled into the mix. Legends like Nirvana, Bob Dylan, Snoop Dogg, KISS and Johnny Cash have all played the fair. So have rising stars like Rihanna.

Concerts at the fair may have been curtailed from 2019 to 2023 due to the pandemic, but they’re still a popular draw. In honor of the 2025 Arizona State Fair Coliseum Concert Series – which includes The Format, 2 Chainz, The Cult and Brett Eldredge – here’s a look back at the biggest Arizona State Fair concerts from the past 25 years.

Foo Fighters

Oct. 20, 2000Dave Grohl is no stranger to the Arizona State Fair stage. Nirvana famously played their last-ever Valley show at the event in 1993 and Foo Fighters rocked the Coliseum in both 2000 and 2006. Veteran concert promoter Danny Zelikso told Phoenix New Times in 2016 that both shows were memorable. “Everybody’s been in a good mood when they’ve been here,” Zelisko says. “They’re loose, and there’s not a lot of pressure to perform or worry about setting up their sound and lights since we handle that end. There’s like a giant club feel to the place and that translates to a fun show for everyone.” We prefer Foo Fighters’ 2000 performance, however, not only because it offered a bigger and better set list, but also because Queens of the Stone Age opened the evening.

“Weird Al” Yankovic

Oct. 13, 2000Look, we get it. Almost every “Weird Al” Yankovic concert follows a familiar blueprint: extended polka medleys, recurring “Al TV” segments, costume changes, etcetera. That said, his Arizona State Fair set in 2000 somehow felt even wilder, more electrifying and gloriously unhinged than normal. That speaks to Yankovic’s magic as a showman: he can take the now-standard grand finale of “Yoda” leading into “The Saga Begins,” complete with stormtroopers dancing across the stage, and make it feel fresh. The Force was definitely strong with him that night, proving once again why he’s in a league of his own.

Tesla

Oct. 23, 2001Nu-metal reached its zenith in 2001 when acts like Drowning Pool and Disturbed were inescapable. True metal purists, however, preferred O.G. acts like Tesla, who have always valued substance over style and musicianship over the excesses of rock ‘n’ roll. These same metalheads turned out in droves for the band’s 2001 fair performance, which stood out amid a lineup dominated by boot-scootin’ acts. (“It went very heavy on the country in 2001: Alan Jackson, Bill Engvall, Larry the CG, Brad Paisley, LeeAnne Rimes,” Zelisko says.) Tesla’s gig saw the band go hard on songs like “Modern Day Cowboy,” “What You Give” and “Action Talks.” They also busted out with “The Star-Spangled Banner” (the show was mere weeks after 9/11) and a killer cover of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.”

Lee Ann Womack

Oct. 10, 2002The fair’s country craze continued into the next year, with no less than 10 different bands and performers were of a country bent. (Keith Urban! Mark Chestnut! Sawyer Brown!) The best of the bunch was Lee Ann Womack, the singer-songwriter whose songs weren’t poppy or pandering to nu-country’s standard tropes in those days. Her aesthetics are arguably closer in spirit and substance to the Dolly Partons and Barbara Mandrells of the country world than the Trish Yearwoods. In other words, she transformed Veterans Memorial Coliseum into a 13,000-person capacity mega-church meant for worshiping the gods and goddesses of true country.

Missy Elliott

Oct. 25, 2003A chance to check out Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott in her prime? And it’s (more or less) a free concert to boot? You know it’s an offer that fans of the hip-hop queen, or hip-hop in general, couldn’t have refused. And they didn’t, which speaks to the fact that Miss E was phenomenally popular in the early aughts and had one of the biggest hip-hop albums of that year, Under Construction, and such red-hot singles as “Gossip Folks,” her collaboration with Ludacris. So yeah, Elliott was a big deal in 2003, as was her performance at the fair.

Velvet Revolver

Oct. 23, 2004Before being torn apart by the late Scott Weiland’s demons, Velvet Revolver was a slice of hard rock heaven. When the supergroup (which included Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum and Dave Kushner) fired on all cylinders, they put on a captivating show. Just ask local fan Bubba Whicker, who attended Velvet Revolver’s 2004 fair gig. “They really got the crowd going at this show. The first song, ‘Sucker Train Blues,’ had the entire arena on its feet. We sang along as they played the Aerosmith cover ‘No More, No More,’ which I’ve never seen a band cover before,” Whicker says. “And by the time the group played ‘It’s So Easy,’ the entire crowd was still on their feet. It made me happy to live in Arizona that has a fair that will have the heavier bands play.”

Beck

Oct. 28, 2005Beck’s effortlessly cool and unflappable persona came in handy during his 2005 fair concert. That’s because the crowd came armed with glowsticks that were being given away at the event, many of which were hurled Beck’s way. He good-humoredly shucked and jived the illuminated projectiles while rolling through a 90-minute set crammed with 26 songs. There were tracks from 2005’s “Guero,” as well as gems from “Sea Change,” “Midnight Vultures” and (of course) “Mellow Gold.” Nothing could kill the good vibes of the show, which saw hordes of fairgoers drift into the show after growing bored with the midway and join in the fun.

Pet Shop Boys

Nov. 1, 2006This unforgettable performance by the iconic synth-pop duo delivered everything a Pet Shop Boys show should. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe sported tuxes and tails. The vibe was upbeat and celebratory. And the 22-song set list boasted practically every track you’d want to hear (“West End Girls,” “Opportunities,” “Left to My Own Devices,” “Go West”) not to mention a gleeful rendition of U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name” and Brenda Lee’s “Always on My Mind.” Who cares if the dickholes at Idolator poked fun at the fact that Pet Shop Boys were “[sharing] a bill with batter-dipped foodstuffs and demolition derbies.”

Rihanna

Oct. 20, 2007Fairgoers were packed to the nosebleeds to see Rihanna in 2007, who was a few years into her epic career at that point. All eyes were on the R&B star inside the coliseum, and not just because she was dressed in a form-fitting and vaguely BDSM-style costume. Her captivating 16-song performance started with “Pon de Replay,” ended with the now-iconic “Umbrella, and offered plenty of grace, charm and style throughout. Zelisko says her magnetic personality and relationship with the crowd that helped make the concert special. “The Rihanna show was great,” he says. “I enjoyed the interaction between her and this audience that was in there. For her to be playing during the state fair was a great way for a lot of people who wouldn’t ordinarily be able to see her to get to see her.”

Weezer

Oct. 18, 2008If you were to ask us our opinion of Weezer’s performance at the Arizona State Fair, we’d probably reply, “Which time?” The band has been repeat visitors, playing the event on four occasions from the mid-’90s through the 2000s. “They like the fair; let’s just put it that way,” Zelisko quipped in 2016. We’ve liked ’em at the fair, too, particularly their first show in 2008. There were no shortage of unforgettable moments by frontman Rivers Cuomo, who may or may not have been a bit batty at the time, like when he rode on the shoulders of a security guard or played drums during Weezer’s cover of Pink Floyd’s “Time.” Zelisko was blown away by both the cover and the entire show. “That was, to me, probably the standout moment of that fair,” he says. “They were exceptionally great.”

Bob Dylan

Oct. 17, 2009The folk-rock legend was in rare form during his first-ever Arizona State Fair concert in 2009. As writer and Bob Dylan superfan Howard Weiner wrote in his review of the gig, the musician performed such standards as “Lay Lady Lay,” “Thunder on the Mountain,” and “Jolene,” among others. His onstage moves were also on point. “Dylan swaggered to the center of the stage, harp in hand, and delivered an animated lead-singer production of ‘Workingman’s Blues,'” Weiner wrote. “He waggled his finger at the crowd as he preached the chorus, demanding his boots and shoes.” Zelisko, a Dylan fan himself, was similarly impressed. “As I recall, he gave a great show there. He can hardly do any wrong to me. That was my highlight of that year.”

Snoop Dogg

Oct. 29, 2010Fans lucky enough to catch Snoop Dogg’s Arizona State Fair debut in 2010 probably left grinning from ear to ear. The Doggfather delivered everything anyone could want, and then some, all under a haze of ganja smoke that practically clouded the coliseum during the show. He rolled through his signature hits (“Gin and Juice,” “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” “Who Am I?”) alongside crowd-pleasing gems like Dr. Dre’s “Deep Cover” and House of Pain’s “Jump Around.” With a near-sellout crowd hyped to the max, Snoop’s smooth charisma, effortless flow and party-starting energy made it a show fans probably haven’t forgotten, even after the rap icon staged multiple returns to the fair in the years since.

Judas Priest

Oct. 21, 2011Judas Priest’s first-ever state fair show in 2011 was a high-octane heavy metal maelstrom. Jets of flames fired off from the stage. Rock icon and Valley resident Rob Halford strutted through multiple costume changes. And the legendary band’s original lineup did what they do best: unleashing pure rock ‘n’ roll fury. Zelisko summed it up in his comments to New Times in 2016: “If you’re into Priest or metal spectacles, they’re some of the best in the business. I really enjoyed it. “There’s also the fact that Judas Priest had never played the fair before, too.” Word.

Jane’s Addiction

Oct. 24, 2012Jane’s Addiction finally made an appearance at the fair in 2012. And for local fans of the alt-rock favorites, it was worth the wait. A near-capacity crowd packed the coliseum as Perry Farrell and crew tore through “Mountain Song,” “Just Because,” and “Been Caught Stealing.” The band switched things up mid-set, taking seats with bongo drums while Dave Navarro went acoustic. The strangest moment came during “Ted, Just Admit It,” when vintage BDSM porn flickered across giant screens and lingerie-clad women performed onstage. As good as that gig was, the band’s backstage performance was even better. “Beforehand, they had this listening party back in the dressing room where they had a small setup and they jammed about 50 people in there to just sit and watch the sound check happen,” Zelisko told New Times in 2016. Some people have all the luck.

Alabama Shakes

Oct. 24, 2013 If you’ve never heard the singing voice of former Alabama Shakes frontwoman Brittany Howard, it’s likely to shock and awe with its power and beauty. It’s been known to happen, like when Zelisko first heard it during the now-defunct band’s 2013 concert at the fair. “What a voice,” he says. “She’s a phenomenal singer.” We’re certain that many in attendance when the Alabama Shakes rolled hit the coliseum had a similar reaction. “The Alabama Shakes were a big deal then,” Zelisko stated in 2016. “And a lot of people came out for that show. They’re a terrific band.”

Zendaya

Oct. 25, 2013Before she became the Emmy-winning powerhouse of HBO’s hit show “Euphoria” or Peter Parker’s MCU sweetheart, Zendaya was a bona fide teen pop sensation. Back in 2013, the former Disney Channel star swung through the Arizona State Fair as part of her Swag It Out Tour, drawing a packed crowd of screaming fans (most of whom were teens). The hour-long set was a high-energy mix of her hits and favorites, from the bubblegum bounce of “Replay” to the empowering anthem “My Baby,” each song punctuated by choreographed moves by Zendaya and her backup dancers.

Slayer

Oct. 26, 2016Slayer’s Arizona State Fair performance in 2016 was like a masterclass in thrash metal intensity. The band delivered a blistering set that included classics like “Dead Skin Mask” and “Raining Blood,” with frontman Tom Araya also engaging the crowd in a rare moment of camaraderie. To wit: Despite the band’s reputation for aggression, Araya emphasized the importance of love and unity midway through the show. This juxtaposition of ferocity and warmth created a memorable experience for fans, young and old alike. The concert’s energy was palpable, leaving the audience exhilarated and reaffirming Slayer’s status as true metal gods.

Flaming Lips

Oct. 6, 2016The Flaming Lips made their Arizona State Fair debut in 2016, delivering a vibrant, over-the-top spectacle that only they could pull off. Confetti rained, lights glittered, theatrics ran wild and emotions ran deep. Two of our favorite memories include frontman Wayne Coyne rolling through the crowd in his signature giant inflatable hamster ball and spelling out “Fuck yeah Phoenix” in letter-shaped Mylar balloons. Another standout moment came with an extended, heart-tugging cover of “Space Oddity,” which hit differently just months after David Bowie’s death. As New Times stated in its review, the show felt “like musical therapy composed of colored sound.”

Pitbull

Oct. 17, 2018Pitbull lit up the coliseum brighter than the entire midway during his 2018 concert at the Arizona State Fair. Boasting his usual full-on swagger, the multiplatinum rapper hit the stage and busted out with bangers like “Don’t Stop the Party,” “Hotel Room Service,” “Rain Over Me,” “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)” and “Give Me Everything.” As is the norm for many Pitbull shows, the vibe was all sweat, electricity and energy as Mr. Worldwide’s bangers got fans singing and dancing along. To put it bluntly, Pittbull owned the coliseum during his show.

Lil Pump

Oct. 19, 2019Lil Pump gave the Arizona State Fair its first taste of SoundCloud rap in 2019. The viral hitmaker blasted through his repertoire of hard-hitting tracks, including “Gucci Gang,” “D Rose,” “Butterfly Doors,” “Boss and “Molly.” It was neither packed nor polished, but for Lil Pump’s fans, it didn’t need to be.