Iowa State Fair Draws Record 1.22 Million Visitors in 11 Days

Q: After Rod Stewart's sudden medical cancellation, what mystery act stepped in to help the Grandstand achieve its record-breaking numbers?

The replacement was **John Waite**. After Rod Stewart canceled because he was recovering from a coronary stent procedure, the Iowa State Fair announced a free Grandstand performance by the rock singer best known for “Missing You” and his work with The Babys and Bad English. That stand-in show helped keep the Grandstand schedule intact and contributed to the fair’s record total Grandstand attendance of **132,041** despite Stewart’s absence. So the “mystery act” that stepped in was **John Waite**.

3 articles · Updated · KMAland · Aug 25

1,218,834 people attended the 2026 Iowa State Fair, setting an all-time record over its 11-day run, with Saturday alone drawing nearly 131,000 visitors.
17,000-plus fans at Lainey Wilson’s Aug. 16 Grandstand show set a concert record as officials credited a mix of long-running traditions, new attractions and updated grounds for the surge.
$13 million has already gone into renovating the horse barn, while the swine barn is next for a projected $19.6 million and the 4-H building has also been modernized and air-conditioned.
2,000 slices a day of the new Minneapple Pie Stand’s deep-fried pie helped illustrate the food draw at the 425-acre fairgrounds, where the first-time vendor also won Best of Show.