Monday, June 3, 2019 (5:26 pm)

 APOLLO 11 – The Immersive Live Show touches down in Costa Mesa for a limited engagement at OC Fair & Event Center on Thursday, October 10, with tickets on sale Sunday, June 23. Groups of 10 or more can purchase their tickets now by emailing groupsales@apollo11show.com or calling 1‐833-9MOON11. Costa Mesa is the second stop of this exciting new production’s 18‐city tour over the next three years.

As we approach the 50th anniversary of man’s first steps on the Moon, the time has come to tell one of the greatest stories in human history. Staged in the groundbreaking, purpose‐built lunar dome, Apollo 11 is a truly immersive live show performed by a full cast under 40,000 square feet of stunning 360° video projection and brought to life by world‐class theater design, a full orchestral score and life‐size rockets.

The show invites audiences to go on an epic journey to the Moon and back. The story of the 400,000 individuals it took to accomplish this mission told through the eyes of Ben, a retired NASA aerospace engineer, as he recounts those heady days to his granddaughter, Sydney. She then finds herself turning her eyes away from her smartphone and up to the sky as she dreams about the endless possibilities of space. 

This celebration of one of man’s greatest achievements takes audiences of all ages on the ride of a lifetime and inspires future generations to imagine what comes next.

Shows at OC Fair & Event Center begin Oct. 10. The length of the show’s Costa Mesa run has not yet been released. For more information, visit https://apollo11show.com/.

Monday, November 19, 2018 (12:10 pm)

Costa Mesa, Calif. (Nov. 19, 2018) – The OC Fair has announced three more shows coming to Pacific Amphitheatre during the 2019 Toyota Summer Concert Series. Tickets for these shows – and the previously announced “Weird Al” Yankovic show – go on sale Saturday, Dec. 1, at 10 a.m.

Justin Moore
July 14, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets start at $40

Country music singer-songwriter Justin Moore returns to the Pacific Amphitheatre on July 14 to celebrate his upcoming album. The recently released song, “The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home,” gives listeners a taste of what’s in store, adding to his collection of hits like “You Look Like I Need A Drink,” “Til My Last Day” and “Small Town USA.”

Happy Together Tour
July 21, 8 p.m.
Tickets start at $25

Back by popular demand, the Happy Together Tour returns to Pacific Amphitheatre for another great year of classic hits and everyone’s favorite oldies. The 2019 tour will include The Turtles, Chuck Negron (formerly of Three Dog Night), Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, The Buckinghams, The Classics IV and The Cowsills.

Viva El Mariachi at Pacific Amphitheatre
Aug. 4, 6 p.m.
Tickets start at $17.50

Mariachi gets a bigger stage during the 2019 OC Fair with a festival at Pacific Amphitheatre. Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez has performed at the OC Fair for more than 20 years, typically on The Hangar stage. The 13-member band is being joined on Aug. 4 by Ana Barbara, Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles, and Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuellar.

“Weird Al” Yankovic (previously announced)
Aug. 8, 8 p.m.
Tickets start at $27.50

“Weird Al” Yankovic will perform fan favorites on Aug. 8 as part of the Strings Attached Tour – a high-energy rock and comedy show featuring costumes, props, a video wall and a full orchestra. “Weird Al” is best known for his hilariously irreverent parodies of hit songs, including “Eat It,” “Like A Surgeon” and “Tacky.”
Tickets to these shows will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster and include admission to the 2019 OC Fair. More performances and action sports at the Fair will be announced in the coming months. Sign up for pre-sale emails at ocfair.com/newsletters.

Super Pass holders can purchase tickets to select Pacific Amphitheatre, The Hangar and Action Sports Arena performances at a two-for-one discount. The 2019 Super Pass is a season pass that includes admission to all 23 days of the OC Fair, as well as several exclusive discounts, and will go on sale Friday, Nov. 23, at ocfair.com/superpass.

The 2019 OC Fair is July 12-Aug. 11, open Wednesday-Sunday.

Tuesday, April 24, 2018 (5:06 pm)

The OC Fair is seeking Orange County residents or students to sing the national anthem on select City Days during the flag ceremony at the 2018 OC Fair. Performers must be able to perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” a capella. 

City Days are dedicated days during the Fair intended to honor and celebrate all the cities in Orange County. We are looking for performers from each of O.C.’s 34 cities.

If you are interested in performing, please email khastings@ocfair.com by Friday, May 11, with your city of residence, the school in which you are currently enrolled (if applicable) and a video clip of you singing the national anthem. This video can be of a live performance at a local venue/event, or it can be from your home, but a video is required.

If you are chosen to perform, you will need to be available on a weekday in July or August from noon to 1 p.m. We will contact you with the specific date.

Please note: The national anthem performances are separate from the application to perform as part of the Community Entertainment program on one of the Fair stages. The application deadline to be considered for the Community Entertainment program has passed.

Posted in: Entertainment

Monday, February 5, 2018 (10:01 am)

The 2018 OC Fair starts July 13 and goes through Aug. 12. But don’t wait to buy tickets to the performances happening on all 23 nights of the Fair!

Here’s what’s on sale now:

Straight No Chaser with special guest Jon McLaughlin at Pac Amp, July 8 (Tickets start at $27.50)

Rumours – The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute Show at The Hangar, July 13 (Tickets start at $17.50)

Dead Man’s Party – The Oingo Boing Tribute at The Hangar, July 14 (Tickets start at $17.50)

Firefall and Poco at The Hangar, July 15 (Tickets start at $20) 

Kool & the Gang with special guest Village People at Pac Amp, July 18 (Tickets start at $30)

Elton – The Early Years – A Tribute to Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road at The Hangar, July 18 (Tickets start at $17.50)

Steve Martin & Martin Short with Steep Canyon Rangers and Jeff Babko at Pac Amp, July 20 (Tickets start at $55) 

Brett Eldredge with special guest Honey County at Pac Amp, July 29 (Tickets start at $45)

On sale Saturday, Feb. 10: 

Monster Truck Destruction Tour at Action Sports Arena, July 25-29 (Tickets start at $17.50)

Posted in Entertainment, OC Fair

Friday, December 15, 2017 (1:26 pm)

For the next 10 years, Cirque du Soleil will raise the Big Top of its touring productions at OC Fair & Event Center for its Orange County engagements.

There are five shows slated through 2028, the first being LUZIA, which will be performing from Feb. 21 through March 18, 2018. Tickets are now on sale at www.cirquedusoleil.com/luzia.

Cirque du Soleil and OC Fair & Event Center formalized the 10-year contract at today’s Board of Directors meeting. The Montreal-based theatrical company was last at the Fairgrounds in 2015 with KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities.

“This partnership with Cirque du Soleil gives us an amazing opportunity to bring spectacular shows to Orange County through 2028,” said Kathy Kramer, OC Fair & Event Center CEO. “We are fortunate to have the ideal space, plenty of parking and a wonderful audience that appreciates entertainment of this caliber.”

The iconic tent will be erected in the eastern portion of the Fairgrounds. This is the fifth time that Cirque du Soleil touring shows have been held at OC Fair & Event Center; each of those productions was part of an individual, single-year contract.

“The OC Fair & Event Center is an outstanding site for our Big Top touring shows as it is well-known and perfectly located in Orange County,” said Jörg Schlegel, director of tour development at Cirque du Soleil.

View video of LUZIA at https://youtu.be/anIIJ6JumZI.

Posted in: Entertainment, OC Fair & Event Center

Thursday, July 6, 2017 (4:49 pm)

Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez has performed all over the world, and this summer the 13-member band will make a stop in Orange County, returning to the OC Fair on Sunday, Aug. 6.

Hernandez says they have been performing at the Fair for about 20 years, and that it’s one of the best shows they do all year.

“We like to take our audience on a ride,” Hernandez said. “We play popular songs from the 60s and 70s all the way up to today’s contemporary.”

This year’s performance will be extra special for the group, as they will pay tribute to three of Mexico’s biggest icons in the Mariachi world: Pedro Infante, Jorge Negrete and Javier Solic.

“I think people will appreciate the quality of the music, the instruments and the vocals of Sol de Mexico,” Hernandez said. “Mariachi gives Latinos a sense of pride, and it’s easy for others to feel that pride as well. It really brings people together; it’s magical.”

Founded in 1981, Sol de Mexico aims to portray the beauty of Mexico’s land, people and heart. They have created 18 albums over their 36-year history, and have recorded with some of Mexico’s biggest icons, including Selena and Lola Beltran. The group has gone above and beyond in mariachi music by being the first mariachi ensemble to be nominated for a Grammy. They’ve traveled all over the world, including Spain, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Venezuela, China and even North Korea.

Hernandez is the fifth generation of mariachi performers, who originate from Jalisco, Mexico, which is the birth place of mariachi music.

Hernandez, who lives in Newport Beach, sings and plays the trumpet, violin, guitarron and vihuela. Hernandez has also composed, arranged and provided music for all of Sol de Mexico’s albums.

“Mariachi music is the type of thing that gets passed down from generation to generation,” Hernandez said. “We’re even starting to pass it down to a sixth generation with my nephew, who now plays in the band with me.”

On top of leading a successful mariachi band and a popular restaurant, Cielito Lindo in South El Monte, he spends his time teaching the power of mariachi to the community. Hernandez began Mariachi Heritage Society in 1991 to educate younger generations the importance and development of mariachi music and has since taught over 10,000 children.

The Mariachi Heritage Society offers lessons in violin, guitar, trumpet, vihuela, guitarron, voice and ballet folklorico for students ages 7 to 18. The Santa Ana School District has opened its doors for the Mariachi Heratige Society to teach their students.
“Mariachi music can be cross generational,” Hernandez said. “Kids and parents get so involved in learning about Mariachi that I’ve seen it change lives.”

Around 125 of the students will perform with the group at the Fair. 
Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez will perform in The Hangar at the 2017 OC Fair on Sunday, August 6 at 1:30 and 6 p.m. Tickets start at $17.50 and are available via Ticketmaster.

The 2017 OC Fair is July 14 through Aug. 13 and will offer 23 days and nights of entertainment, food, rides, shopping, exhibits and more. The Fair is open Wednesdays through Fridays from noon to midnight, and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to midnight.

2017 OC Fair promo photos: bit.ly/2OCFair17photos

Press credential requests: bit.ly/ocfairpress

Monday, May 15, 2017 (4:38 pm)

The OC Fair has announced its first venture into the esports world, iBUYPOWER GameFest and Tournament, featuring virtual reality demos, a live gaming tournament and much more.

Stop by and channel your inner gamer, experience the stunning world of virtual reality, or enjoy our variety of carnival-style activities for chances to win sponsored prizes.

GameFest will take place on the last weekend of the 2017 OC Fair, August 12 and 13, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in The Hangar and Club OC in the Plaza Pacifica. Entrance is included with your OC Fair admission, which is $14 for adults and $7 for youth (6-12) and seniors (60+).

In the evenings, level up for more PC gaming fun as iBUYPOWER and the OC Fair also host the inaugural GameFest Tournament Series from 8:30 to 10 p.m. in The Hangar. Admission to the tournament includes access to the all-day expo and demos, early access to the Hangar beginning at 7:30 p.m. for the live tournament, a GameFest swag bag and up-close viewing of the tournament on the big screen. Admission for the tournament is $17.50 for standing general admission and $25 for reserved seating; tickets include admission to the OC Fair.

iBUYPOWER GameFest at the OC Fair
August 12 and 13, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Tickets included in Fair admission – $14 for adults, $7 for youth (6-12) and seniors (60+)

iBUYPOWER GameFest at the OC Fair and Tournament Series
August 12 and 13, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Tickets are $17.50 general admission, $25 reserved seating (tickets include admission to the OC Fair)