On Sunday, August 23, Josiah Queen, joined by special guest Ben Fuller, drew 16,081 fans to the Iowa State Fair Grandstand, officially setting the all-time attendance record for a Christian artist at the Fair. The previous record was held by Forrest Frank and
Lecrae, set in 2025. The Iowa State Fair Concert Series is booked and produced by Clay Campbell at Triangle Talent.
The milestone also made Josiah and Ben’s performance the second-highest-attended show at the 2026 Iowa State Fair, behind only Lainey Wilson’s sold-out performance on August 16. Wilson drew 17,360 fans, setting a new Grandstand attendance record and surpassing the previous record of 17,320 set by Chris Stapleton in 2021. Josiah and Ben’s performance also ranks among the Top 10 highest-attended shows in Iowa State Fair history.
The record-breaking night comes at a particularly significant moment for Queen, who just released his new single “sundays.” The high-energy track, produced by John Michael Howell, arrives as Queen prepares to release his third studio album, Damascus Road, on October 23.
“From the moment tickets went on sale, the response has been incredible, and putting these artists on Sunday night created an opportunity for families to come enjoy the Fair and the Grandstand,” said Jeremy Parsons, Iowa State Fair CEO. “Seeing Josiah Queen and Ben Fuller set a new Grandstand Christian concert attendance record was the perfect way to close out the 2026 Iowa State Fair.”
The historic Iowa State Fair performance adds to a monumental year for Queen, who recently earned seven 2026 GMA Dove Award nominations, including Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. He has sold more than 260,000 tickets across his headline tours to date, while his gold-certified “demons” has surpassed 100 million streams, reached #1 at Christian radio and topped Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart.
With Damascus Road arriving October 23 and his U.K./European tour kicking off September 14, Queen is continuing a career-defining stretch that has quickly established him as one of contemporary Christian music’s most significant emerging artists. Queen is managed by Hyphen Media Group and Mad Jack Management and represented for booking by JRA (Jeff Roberts Agency). For more information on upcoming live dates, visit josiahqueen.com/tour.