Christian stars Casting Crowns, Anne Wilson coming to Nebraska State Fair

Grammy Award winning Christian artists Casting Crowns will kick start the Nebraska Lottery Concert Series at the Nebraska State Fair on Sunday, August 25, along with special guest Anne Wilson.

“We are thrilled to announce the inclusion of Casting Crowns and Anne Wilson in the Nebraska Lottery Concert Series lineup, promising an unforgettable musical experience for all attendees,” said Karli Schulz, Nebraska State Fair Entertainment & Events Director. “To have both an accomplished band like Castings Crowns and have an up and coming superstar like Anne Wilson will be a truly special night.”

The 7:30 p.m. show will be inside the Heartland Events Center and will have reserved seating. Tickets go on sale Friday, January 26. Tickets start at $25.

In their 20 year career, Casting Crowns has sold more than 13 million albums and earned 15 number one radio hits, including "Voice of Truth," "Until the Whole World Hears,” “Only Jesus,” “Nobody,” and many others. They have more than 3.6 billion streams worldwide, making them one of the most streamed Christian acts of all time.

Lead singer and songwriter Mark Hall developed their latest album, “Healer,” during the pandemic.

“I was walking through the world being shut down, just like everybody else. I’ve been a youth pastor for over twenty years and here I was counseling teenagers who’d just lost their senior year, lost their friend groups, felt hopeless for the future,” he said. “As I started working on this record, I realized all the songs I was writing dealt with healing in some way, something we all need. And more than that, we need a Healer. This whole album is about healing, about how God meets us where we are and what His healing looks like.”

One of Nashville’s most inspiring young trailblazers, Anne Wilson is a true “rebel” in modern music. The Lexington, Ky. native, known for her transcendent vocal and down-to-earth storytelling, delivered her first public performance at age 15, singing “What a Beautiful Name” at her brother’s funeral in a moving expression of faith which soon went viral. A few short years later, her 2021 debut single “My Jesus” became a platinum-certified single and hit No.1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart. Since then, she has tallied more than 730 million global streams, made her Grand Ole Opry debut and scored a Grammy Award nomination for her 2022 debut album “My Jesus.”

“I am who I am,” she says. “I’m Anne Wilson. I love God and that’s my everything, but I love Country music, too, and I can have a beautiful mix of both.”

The Sunday show kicks off seven days of high-quality national touring acts in the Nebraska Lottery Series. Already announced shows include the Older Nebraskans Day concert featuring the Gatlin Brothers and Lorrie Morgan on Monday, August 26, and the Saturday night, August 31, series-closing act, Yung Gravy with opening act Tayler Holder.

Additional acts will be announced for the four remaining performances every few weeks through March.

With the theme, All Roads Lead to Fun, the 2024 Nebraska State Fair is August 23-September 2 at Fonner Park in Grand Island. The fair has drawn more than 4 million visitors to its home in Grand Island since 2010. More information about agricultural events and competitions, carnival entertainment, and other musical performances is available at StateFair.org.