After pairing up with other classic rock bands for stadium concerts on recent tours, Def Leppard will pare down its road show to headline the Minnesota State Fair grandstand in 2025.
Def Leppard leaving stadiums to play Minnesota State Fair in 2025
Joe Elliott and his crew will return to the grandstand on Aug. 26, their first time there since 2015.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
February 11, 2025 at 2:54PM
The British Rock & Roll Hall of Famers will return to the fair on Aug. 26, a Tuesday night. Tickets will be priced $77 to $292 and go on sale Friday via etix.com or by calling 800-514-3849, with presale options beginning Wednesday.
A fairly big get for the Great Minnesota Get-Together, Def Leppard remains one of rock’s most popular ‘80s bands, with more than 110 million albums sold and a long list of hits that includes “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Photograph,” “Rock of Ages” and “Love Bites.” It’s also one of the rare groups of that era to still boast all of its living heyday members, including singer Joe Elliott, guitarist Phil Collen, bassist Rick Savage and drummer Rick Allen.
The band performed at Target Field for the second time last summer with Journey, plus it performed at U.S. Bank Stadium in 2022 with one of last year’s fair grandstand headliners, Mötley Crüe. Def Leppard played the Minnesota State Fair many times before those stadium outings, most recently in 2015.
Only two other concerts have been announced for the grandstand so far in 2025. Here’s the schedule:
- Old Dominion: Aug. 21
- Melissa Etheridge and Indigo Girls: Aug. 24
- Def Leppard: Aug. 26
The three-year deal includes pay raises, scheduling changes and protections for LGBTQ workers at the storied concert venue.
