Overview
- State Fair officials announced on Friday that Hairball, with special guest Slave Raider, will perform at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 1, and the concert will be free with Minnesota State Fair admission.
- Rod Stewart’s team said the 81-year-old is withdrawing from the Sept. 1 Grandstand date to recover from a routine coronary stent procedure and no replacement date for Stewart has been announced.
- Hairball is an ’80s rock tribute band known for high-energy recreations of acts such as Van Halen, KISS, Mötley Crüe and Queen and for using pyrotechnics and light effects in its shows.
- Slave Raider, a Minneapolis-formed heavy metal band from the 1980s, will appear as the special guest, keeping a local rock element in the replacement lineup.
- By filling the Grandstand slot the fair avoids cancelling a major evening event and preserves general-admission access and the rest of the published 2026 Grandstand schedule for attendees.