Legendary singer-songwriter and rock icon Melissa Etheridge will perform at the New York State Fair on Friday, Aug. 28.
Etheridge will play at the fair’s Suburban Park concert venue. The show starts at 8 p.m.
Etheridge released “RISE,” her 17th studio album, on March 27. The release coincides with her first nomination for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Some of Etheridge‘s hits include “Come to My Window,” “I’m the Only One,” “I Want to Come Over” and “Like the Way I Do.” She has two Grammy Awards and an Academy Award.
She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is ranked among VH1’s 100 Greatest Women in Rock & Roll.
No tickets are required for fair concerts. All are free with admission, which will cost $8 again this year. Admission is free for seniors 65 and older and kids 12 and under.
More than 40 concerts will take place on two main stages: Suburban Park and Chevy Court. Suburban Park will host the Fair’s largest concerts in the New York Experience area on the west end near Gate 10, in the back of the Midway and past the Expo Center. Chevy Court is located near Gate 1, next to the Center of Progress Building and by the Dairy Products Building. Both have limited seating available.
All Suburban Park shows will be held at 8 p.m. each evening, while Chevy Court will feature shows daily at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Two special additional shows will also take place at 9 p.m. each Friday at Chevy Court.
Last year’s lineup included a variety of artists performing rock, rap, country, pop and other genres. Jessie Murph, Shaggy and Lynyrd Skynyrd drew the biggest crowds of 2025 with more than 30,000 fans each.
NYS Fair 2026 concert schedule
Aug. 26, 1 p.m.: The Commodores at Chevy Court
Aug. 26, 6 p.m.: Quiet Riot at Chevy Court
Aug. 27, 8 p.m.: Sean Paul at Suburban Park
Aug. 28, 9 p.m.: DJ Pretty Mess (Erika Jayne) at Chevy Court
Aug. 31, 8 p.m.: Ashanti at Suburban Park
Sept. 2, 6 p.m.: Priscilla Block at Chevy Court
Sept. 3, 8 p.m.: ZZ Top at Suburban Park