County Commissioners unanimously approved several contracts during their July 14 meeting for grounds entertainment and night concerts for the 2026 Montana State Fair.

Commissioners approved a $432,000 contract with Lakefront Entertainment, doing business as Fran Romeo Agency, which is the talent buying consultant for the Montana State Fair.

The 2026 night shows are:

• Third Eye Blind: July 25
• Kansas: July 26
• Ian Munsick: July 27
• John Crist: July 28

The contract requires the county to pay in four equal installments of $108,000 after each performance.

The county also contracted with Fran Romeo last year for $464,400.

The county used Neste Live in 2023 and 2024, but terminated that agreement last year.

In 2024, the Neste contract for night concerts was $609,500.

In 2024, night show sales were $411,769 and those sales were included in the fair’s total. Night show attendance was 9,522 at Pacific Steel and Recycling Arena.

The Electric has requested night show attendance/revenue for 2025 but not yet received the information.

The grounds entertainment contracts include:

• Blake Guyre, Strolling Piano: $10,000 plus two hotel rooms for July 23-Aug. 1 for 36 performances
• AmirrorcAN Men: $23,000 plus three hotel rooms for July 23-Aug. 1 for 54 performances
• Boogie Storm: $21,000 plus four hotel rooms for July 23-Aug. 1 for 36 performances
• Strolling DJ: $14,500 plus two hotel rooms for July 23-Aug. 1 for 34 performances
• Funkanometry: $25,000 plus three hotel rooms for July 23-Aug. 2 for 54 performances

Last year, the county commission approved a five-year agreement with Thomas Carnival, Inc. through the 2029 fair.

2025 Montana State Fair guide

The county has contracted with Thomas Carnival for 30 years for rides and games during the state fair.

In the agreement, Thomas Carnival agrees to provide “riding devices, sideshows, carnival games and food concessions.” The carnival provides a full list of riding attractions and their capacity to the county at least 60 days before the opening of each year’s fair.

Thomas Carnival will present rides with an hourly passenger capacity of at least 90 percent of those presented during the 2024 fair.

2025 Montana State Fair night show lineup released

Under the agreement, the carnival pays the fair 35 percent of gross ride ticket sales, except “extreme” rides, net of all applicable sales taxes, up to $350,000 in sales, and 40 percent of sales over $350,000.

The carnival pays 10 percent of the ticket gross of up to two “extreme” rides and the designation of “extreme” is mutually agreed upon by both parties, according to the contract.

The payment numbers are the same as the previous carnival contract that commissioners signed in 2021.

In 2025, the carnival grossed $969,258, up from $826,191 in 2024 and $809,982 in 2023.

Last summer, commissioners approved a contract with the Sankey Rodeo Company for 2025-2027 with the option to extend for 2028 and 2029 for the Big Sky Pro Rodeo.

County approves horse racing, fair entertainment contracts [2024]

The 2025 contract rate was $88,500 for the county.

The rate increases in the following years:

• 2026: $96,500
• 2027: $100,000
• 2028: $105,00
• 2029: 110,000

The 2025 fair numbers, as released by the county, were:

• fair gate admission revenue: $474,314
• food vendor gross sales: $923,547
• Thomas Carnival gross sales: $969,258
• total fair revenue: $2,016,683