AMERICAN IDOL Partners With Ohio State Fair

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(Columbus) – Ohio is the Heart of It All – including musical talent! This year, Ohio State Fair officials are partnering with AMERICAN IDOL® to help find and showcase Ohio’s best vocalists. Videos from the top five submissions will be played before Fair concerts in the WCOL Celeste Center, including Yung Gravy, Ludacris, Tyler Hubbard, Lindsey Stirling, and more, and the top 8 contestants will win VIP Front of Line passes to audition for the AMERICAN IDOL® Across America virtual auditions. 

Virtual auditions are open now through Wednesday, July 19, at 11:59pm, with all contest details available at https://www.ohiostatefair.com/p/entertainment/american-idol-contest.

“Ohio is the heart of it all, and I encourage Ohioans with musical talent to send in their auditions for the opportunity to impress the judges on American Idol,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.

“We were thrilled when American Idol reached out about this partnership,” stated Ohio State Fair General Manager Virgil Strickler. “There are so many talented vocalists all across Ohio. I see hundreds of them every year on our stages, especially when I see a performance of the All-Ohio State Fair Youth Choir. I can’t wait to see all the videos submitted from Ohioans in every corner of the state, and showcase the top five at this year’s Fair.”

Video Requirements:

• Videos should be between 60-90 seconds long.
• Videos must be contestants singing live with nothing altering their voice (no filters, professional production, autotune, etc.).
• Instrumental accompaniment is welcome.
• Both covers and original songs are welcome.

How to Enter:

• Submit a video audition on Instagram using the hashtag #ohiostatefairidol and tagging the Ohio State Fair (@ohiostatefair).
• Submissions will be accepted from July 5, 2023 through 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, July 19. Entries submitted after July 19 will not be considered.

Prizes:

• The Top 8 finalists will win VIP Front of the Line passes to audition for the AMERICAN IDOL® Across America virtual auditions and four free Ohio State Fair admission tickets.
• The Top 5 finalists will be broadcasted on the big screens before the 2023 concerts in the Ohio State Fair Concert & Event Series.
• The winner will receive the grand prize that gets them a VIP private audition with the AMERICAN IDOL® executive producers.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Must meet the age eligibility for AMERICAN IDOL®: must be born between June 2, 1994 and February 15, 2009.
• Click here for additional AMERICAN IDOL® guidelines.

The Ohio Expo Center is proud to host the Ohio State Fair. With big-name entertainment, educational activities, hundreds of exhibits and one of the largest junior livestock shows in the nation, the 2023 Ohio State Fair will run July 26 – Aug. 6. For more information, visit ohiostatefair.com, call 1-888-OHO-EXPO or 1-614-644-FAIR.