INDIANAPOLIS – Today, it was announced that two legendary Motown and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, The Four Tops and The Spinners, will both perform on Friday, August 7 (opening night) at the Indiana State Fair on the Hoosier Lottery Free Stage. As recently announced, The Beach Boys will not be performing on opening night in 2026 as originally planned, as their show has been postponed and will now take place in 2027 (more details on that soon).
The legendary quartet The Four Tops, originally called the Four Aims, made their first Motown hit, “Baby I Need Your Loving,” in 1964, which made them stars, and their sixties track record on the label is indispensable to any retrospective of the decade. Their songs, soulful and bittersweet, were across-the-board successes. “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch),” a no. 1 R&B and Pop smash in 1965, is one of Motown’s longest-running chart toppers; “It’s The Same Old Song” (no. 2 R&B/no. 5 pop), no. 1 “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” “Standing In The Shadows Of Love” (no. 2 R&B/no. 6 pop) and “Bernadette” (no. 3 R&B/no. 4 pop). Other Tops hits include “Ask The Lonely,” “Shake Me, Wake Me (When It’s Over),” “Something About You,” “You Keep Running Away,” “7-Rooms Of Gloom” and many more. In 1990, with 24 Top-40 pop hits to their credit, the Four Tops were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The Spinners first gained national attention during their time at Motown with the hit single “It’s a Shame,” produced and co-written by Stevie Wonder. The song reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a major R&B success, setting the stage for the group’s rise in the decade that followed. Over the years, the group has received six Grammy nominations, earned 18 Gold and Platinum albums, sold millions of records worldwide, and been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2023, their impact on popular music was formally recognized with induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The 2026 Indiana State Fair takes place August 7-23 (Fair is closed on Mondays). The Hoosier Lottery Free Stage has become a summertime staple for concert goers and music lovers. The lineup each year consists of some of music’s most legendary and diverse acts and this year is no exception. All shows at the Hoosier Lottery Free Stage are free with paid fair admission and seating is first-come, first-served. All shows start at 7:30 p.m., unless noted otherwise. Tickets can be purchased for the 2026 Indiana State Fair today at indianastatefair.com/.
Concerts for the 2026 Hoosier Lottery Free Stage at the Indiana State Fair include:
- The Four Tops and The Spinners – Friday, August 7
- TUSK – The Classic Fleetwood Mac Tribute – Saturday, August 8
- Josiah Queen – Sunday, August 9
- Clayton Anderson – Tuesday, August 11
- Bret Michaels – Wednesday, August 12
- Busta Rhymes – Thursday, August 13
- Grand Funk Railroad – Friday, August 14
- DJ Golden Hour: A Tribute to Demon Hunters – Saturday, August 15
- Trace Adkins – Sunday, August 16
- Los Sementales De Nuevo Leon – Tuesday, August 18
- Happy Together Tour- Wednesday, August 19
- Gene Simmons – Thursday, August 20
- Sammy Kershaw & Craig Morgan – Friday, August 21
- Don McLean – Saturday, August 22
- Tasha Cobbs Leonard – Sunday, August 23
