FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 13, 2026 

MEDIA CONTACT: Candi Briley, candi.briley@state.sd.us   

 

South Dakota State Fair Announces Nate Smith as Saturday Grandstand Act 

  

HURON, S.D. – The South Dakota State Fair and the team at Pioneer are proud to welcome multi-platinum chart-topper Nate Smith to the State Fair on Saturday, September 5 at 8:00 P.M. CT. 

 

Just two years after smashing the doors open to the country music scene, Smith has risen to the ranks of the genre’s biggest hitmakers. With over 2.9 billion global career streams to date, he’s already earned his fourth consecutive #1 with current single “Fix What You Didn’t Break” (Sony Music Nashville), after becoming the first artist in Country Aircheck/Mediabase chart history to launch their career with three straight multi-week #1 smashes including three time platinum #1 “Whiskey On You”; platinum, record-setting, 10-week consecutive #1 “World on Fire”; and platinum #1 “Bulletproof.” The Paradise, California-born musician made a knockout debut in 2023 with his gold self-titled LP, and next brought his high-octane brand of country to his sophomore album, California Gold, the following year with genre-defying collaborations featuring Avril Lavigne and Alesso (on the #1 dance hit “I Like It”).  

 

With his TV appearances including Today, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Smith's racked up nominations from CMA, CMT, iHeartRadio, and People’s Choice Country Awards, all while being recognized as ACM New Male Artist of the Year 2024, Billboard’s Country Power Players Rookie of the Year 2024, and Amazon Music’s Breakthrough Artist 2024, and winning acclaim from the likes of Rolling Stone, Grammy.com, American Songwriter, Los Angeles Times, and The Tennessean (who praised him as “country music’s fastest-rising beloved voice”). Selling out crowds across the country as an incendiary headliner with his Long Live Country Rock & Roll Tour next spring, he’s also on deck as direct support for Jason Aldean’s Full Throttle Tour 2026, after previously opening for Thomas Rhett, Cole Swindell, and Morgan Wallen. Dropping “After Midnight” featuring Tyler Hubbard, after last joining forces with HARDY for “Nobody Likes Your Girlfriend,” he also delivered the deeply poignant “Dads Don’t Die.”  

 

“We are excited to welcome Nate Smith to the South Dakota State Fair,” said Peggy Besch, State Fairgrounds Manager. “His incredible talent and energy have made him one of country music’s fastest-rising stars, and we know our fairgoers are in for an unforgettable performance.” 

 

Ticket presale for backrest signage holders and Friends of the Fair begins Monday, May 11, through Thursday, May 14. Tickets go on sale to the general public at 8:00 A.M. CT on Tuesday, May 19. Pricing and ticket information can be found at www.sdstatefair.com.  

 

The backrest signage program is an advertising program allowing businesses or individuals to put signage on a backrest in the grandstand. Backrest holders can purchase State Fair grandstand tickets for their corresponding signage area before general ticket sales. Additional information and pricing can be found at sdstatefair.com.  

   

Friends of the Fair is a program through the State Fair Foundation offering a variety of benefits, including early bird access to State Fair VIP table sales, presale access to grandstand reserved seating and standing room tickets for the State Fair, complimentary daily gate admission passes, and recognition on the State Fair website. 

  

The 2026 South Dakota State Fair kicks off on Channel Seeds Opening Day, Wednesday, September 2, and runs through Monday, September 7. For more information, contact the State Fair office at 800-529-0900, visit www.sdstatefair.com or check it out on Facebook, Instagram, and X. 

  

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