Two Legendary Hitmaking Soul + Funk Groups Join Wisconsin State Fair Main Stage Lineup

A pair of iconic music groups with a chart-topping presence spanning several decades are headlining a night of entertainment at the Wisconsin State Fair Main Stage this summer.

The group with top billing is the Isley Brothers. Even if you don't know who The Isley Brothers are by name, I guarantee you know their music. Either their hits or the more modern songs that have sampled their catchy music to keep their legend going.

The group blended soul, R&B, funk, and rock music into decades of hits that include their career-defining 1950s hit "Shout!" and 1960s song "It's Your Thing", to hits in the 1970s and 1980s and beyond.

The Isley Brothers' iconic sound has been honored in more recent years with popular rap songs sampling hits from the group.

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A few examples include "Big Poppa" by Notorious BIG sampling "Between the Sheets", Ice Cube's "It Was A Good Day" Sampling "Footsteps in the Dark", Naughty By Nature's "Hop Hop Hooray" sampling "Make Me Say It Again", and Kendrick Lamar's "i" sampling "That Lady".

Joining the Isley Brothers to open the night of music will be another funk/soul/R&B group, The Commodores.

The Commodores is the group behind hits like "Brick House", "Easy", and "Nightshift". In case you're wondering, (sorry) it doesn't sound like Lionel Richie is back with the group, but it will still be a fun way to start the evening of music!

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The show will get underway at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, August 11, and tickets are available via the Wisconsin State Fair Website.

This is the latest in a series of announcements that span multiple genres for the 2026 Wisconsin State Fair Main Stage music series. Here's a look at all of the announced shows for this summer's fair: