The New York State Fair is bringing back “Concert Tracks” for 2026.
NYS Fair teased the first concert announcement of this year’s lineup with a photo of a cartoon boy who looks sick and has a fever. It’s a hint at the artist’s name, which will be revealed on Wednesday.
Social media users responded with a wide range of guesses, including the Jonas Brothers (“Burnin’ Up”), Disturbed (“Down with the Sickness”), Nelly (“Hot in Herre”) and pop-punk band Forever the Sickest Kids. A few also suggested boy band 98 Degrees and classic rock band Foreigner, even though the thermometer in the picture read 101.2 degrees (and Foreigner’s Hot Blooded includes the line “got a fever of one hundred and three”).
But the likely answer? Sean Paul, a dancehall rapper whose hits include “Baby Boy” and “Temperature.” (At the end of the print it was even stated that the post on Facebook and Instagram links “TWO song titles from an artist to be announced tomorrow.”)
The fair launched the game last year to tease concert announcements. Fans can win a pair of NYS Fair 2026 tickets and a parking pass by ‘liking’ the post on social media, sharing it on their own page and guessing the artist or band correctly.
The 2026 New York State Fair runs from Wednesday, August 26 through Monday, Labor Day, September 7 at the NYS Fairgrounds in Geddes, just outside of Syracuse.
Concerts take place on two main stages: Suburban Park and Chevy Court. Suburban Park will host the largest concerts of the fair in the New York Experience area on the west end near Gate 10, at the back of the Midway and around the Expo Center. Chevy Court is located near Gate 1, next to the Center of Progress and in the Dairy Products Building. Both have limited seating.
Last year’s lineup included a variety of artists performing in rock, rap, country, pop and other genres. Jessie Murph, Shaggy and Lynyrd Skynyrd drew the biggest crowds of 2025 with over 30,000 fans each.
No tickets are required for the concerts. All are free with fair admission, which was $8 in 2025 — and free for seniors 65 and older and children 12 and under. This year’s awards have not yet been announced.
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