Every year at the OC Fair, visitors pay extra to watch cars collide or hear tribute bands playing their favorite hits of yesterday. Sugar Ray, Trevor Noah and Dwight Yoakam are among the headliners at the Pacific Amphitheatre.
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While those bigger acts help sell out many of the 23 days of the fair, its schedule is packed with free shows by hundreds of local entertainers, from Mexican folk dancers to country singers to bubble artists.
Katie Hastings, the entertainment bookings director, said the 2026 OC Fair features more than 250 free shows across nine stages as part of its community entertainment program. Though many are unpaid, the program provides budding musicians, dancers and other stage performers the opportunity to gain experience and build a following.
“We’ve had performers say they got a gig somewhere else after they were seen performing at OC Fair,” Hastings said.
Megan the Bubbleologist performs her bubble show at the County Meadows Stage at the OC Fair during the opening day of the fair in Costa Mesa on Friday, July 17, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Kaitlyn Townsend and her all-female country band perform on the County Meadows Stage during the opening day of the OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Friday, July 17, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Audience volunteer Delilah Rose, 9, of Fullerton jumps back as a pretend snake pops out of a basket during a trick in the Magic of Frank Thurston show in the Northgate Market in the OC Promenade at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Friday, July 17, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Buckeye Earl and the Pumpernickel Jam perform on the Plaza Pacifica Stage, their first-ever performance and only second time playing together, at the OC Fair on opening day in Costa Mesa on Friday, July 17, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Monkey Puddle performs on the Plaza Pacifica Stage during opening day at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Friday, July 17, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Arena Red performs in the Hanger during opening day at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Friday, July 17, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Performers are chosen on a first-come basis, and after the application window opens, slots fill up quickly. This year, more than 200 people applied within two days of the portal opening in early January, Hastings said.
Megan McIver, known by her stage name Megan the Bubbleologist, performed three bubble shows on the Meadows Stage for the fair’s opening day — entertainment for those too young to enjoy the carnival rides or looking for a fun moment off their feet. As McIver built clouds and caterpillars from soap water, the children clapped and cheered in unison.
McIver was a roving entertainer the previous year, Hastings said, and her standout performances across the fairgrounds convinced organizers that she should get her own show.
Also new this year: Night shows at the Meadows Stage will feature all-female country bands, which started on opening day with a homecoming concert for Kaylin Townsend.
Many of the entertainers return year after year. Frank Thurston is a comedic magician who has performed for decades, and there are plenty of familiar bands on the night roster across the stages.
While it is home to the fair’s tribute band series at night, during the day the Hangar Stage features performances from local dance ensembles, including traditional Mexican folk dances from groups such as Codices de Mexico, Ballet Folklorico en Aztlan and Cultura Revolucion Performing Arts.
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“We’ve had dancers perform here when they’re little and now they’re dance instructors,” Hastings said. “The fair is part of their growing up, part of their community.”
The Plaza Pacifica will host live music from the likes of Polar Primates, an Arctic Monkeys tribute band; the La Jolla-based teenage singer-songwriter Caroline Lobbin; and Redondo Beach rockers The Unknown. At night, the stage turns nightclub with the “Fair After Dark” series, where fairgoers can partake in live karaoke, DJ parties, as well as lessons in line, swing and Latin dances.
At the Butterfly Stage, a new addition this year, fairgoers will find soulful, acoustic tunes from bands such as Second Wind and Friends and the Centennial Canyon Riders.
Singer-songwriter Rachel Hall, a rising college senior, will be paid to perform four evening shows at the stage. Earning a place as a paid act felt like a full-circle moment, she said, after having worked for the fair and performed as a community entertainer in years past.
Hall said she enjoys the lively, infectious atmosphere of the fair, which she attended regularly growing up.
“It’s really fun and great seeing the community and families having a great time,” she said.
For aspiring entertainers looking to score a paid gig, Hall said it helps to participate in the community entertainment program first and be proactive. Since she’s had experience performing, Hall said fair promoters were already familiar with her sets and her ability to connect with listeners.
“One of the best ways is to do some free entertainment first so that people can see how you do it and how audiences like you,” she said.
The ticketed shows — there are more than 60 between the Pacific Amphitheater, the Hangar and the Action Sports Arena to choose from — include fair admission.
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