This Western Idaho Fair concert had the biggest crowd by a mile. Here are numbers, Boise
Organizers expected two of the Western Idaho Fair’s four grandstand concerts to generate the most buzz last week.
And, sure enough, those two acts drew the largest crowds at the fair, which ended Sunday at Expo Idaho.
But one stood out from all the others.
Country singer Justin Moore drew about 13,800 concertgoers to his performance Friday on the Idaho Central Credit Union Grandstand stage.
The second biggest night? Rock band Bush with 7,900 fans Thursday.
Despite a weather delay, the Spin Doctors and Smash Mouth wound up luring 7,200 fans Tuesday.
Rapper T.I. attracted the fewest concertgoers — about 6,400 on Wednesday, according to fair organizers. (Based on comments on social media, some folks thought his set should have lasted longer, too.)
The average attendance at the grandstand shows was 8,825. That’s down from last year’s nightly average of 9,320. But that number was inflated by country singer Billy Currington’s record-setting draw of 17,800 fans. (Will that ridiculous mark ever get broken? Maybe not.)
As always, grandstand concerts were free with paid fair admission. To estimate attendances, fair employees used clicker counters as Idahoans came and went. Typically at the fair, when a handful of fans leave a full performance, more are allowed to enter.
For historical purposes — and because I’m the only Boise media nerd who tracks this stuff — below are concert numbers from the prior several years. Acts are listed in their order of performance. (And, remember, there were no concerts in 2020 during the pandemic.)
2022
Chris Janson — 5,600
Ja Rule and Ashanti — 8,600
Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo — 9,400
Stone Temple Pilots — 5,200
Billy Currington — 17,800
2021
Granger Smith — 6,200
Nelly — 14,800
Chicago — 11,400
Jon Pardi — 17,200
Seether — 13,900
2019
3 Doors Down — 8,600
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band — 6,400
Dustin Lynch — 10,200
REO Speedwagon — 14,400
2018
Bret Michaels — 3,900
Styx — 10,700
Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias — 12,800
Randy Houser — 9,200
2017
Scott McCreery — 6,100
Huey Lewis and the News — 12,200
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts — 6,700
Trace Adkins — 12,800
2016
Josh Turner — 13,103
Foreigner — 9,234
Sawyer Brown/LoCash — 6,157
Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo — 11,582
