Lynyrd Skynyrd performing at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

INDIANAPOLIS – Concerts that are part of the 2014 Indiana State Fair begin next week as Lynyrd Skynyrd performs on Thursday, July 31 (pre-fair) followed by amazing shows at the Fairgrounds Coliseum and Free Stage throughout the run of the fair.

Also, in celebration of the Year of the Coliseum, nationally acclaimed Beatles tribute Band, BritBeat, previously scheduled to play on the fair’s Free Stage, will now take the stage in the Coliseum for a free show beginning at 7 p.m. They will play a special two-hour show that will commemorate the Beatles’ Indiana State Fair appearance in the Coliseum 50 years ago on Sept. 3, 1964. Other headlining concerts at the Fairgrounds Coliseum include Pitbull, American Idols, Phillip Phillips, Jim Gaffigan and Hunter Hayes.

Josh Kaufman (courtesy NBC)

This year’s Indiana State Fair Free Stage line-up has a long list of big name performers that cover all genres of music. From Kansas to Canada, these artists are coming from all over the globe to sing hits from the 1960s to today. Indy’s own Josh Kaufman will belt out tunes in his unique, soulful sound to show off how he recently became the winner of NBC’s “The Voice” season six, and Indy-based singer-songwriter Jennie DeVoe has recently been added to kick-off this impressive line-up on Aug. 1.

There are seven shows that are part of the Shane Co. Coliseum Concert Series and will take place in the newly renovated Fairgrounds Coliseum. Here is the complete line-up:

• July 31 (pre-Fair) at 7 p.m.: Lynyrd Skynyrd with special guests Jamey Johnson and Drake White and the Big Fire
• Aug. 1 at 7 p.m.: BritBeat
• Aug. 5 at 8 p.m.: Phillip Phillips
• Aug. 6 at 7:30 p.m.: American Idol Live! 2014 Tour
• Aug. 8 at 8 p.m.: Pitbull
• Aug. 9 at 8 p.m.: Hunter Hayes
• Aug. 17 at 8 p.m.: Jim Gaffigan

Tickets for these shows (with exception of BritBeat as it is free) can be purchased at the Fairgrounds Coliseum box office and all Ticketmaster locations. They can also be purchased through Ticketmaster charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. For more information, contact the Fairgrounds Coliseum box office at (317) 927-7601 or visit www.indianastatefair.com.

Here’s the complete rundown of artists and events scheduled for the Indiana State Fair Free Stage, Aug. 1 – 17:

• Friday, Aug. 1, 7:30 p.m.: Jennie DeVoe
• Saturday, Aug. 2, 7:30 p.m.: Charles Esten and Clare Bowen of ABC’s “Nashville,” presented by WRTV-6
• Sunday, Aug. 3, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.: Hispanic/Latino Music Festival presented by Honda featuring Limi-T21 and Stacy Sandoval
• Monday, Aug. 4, 7:30 p.m.: Disney singer/actress Bridgit Mendler
• Tuesday, Aug. 5, 7:30 p.m.: Dustin Lynch presented by HANK-FM and Royal Pin Leisure Centers
• Wednesday, Aug. 6, 7:30 p.m.: Eric Paslay and Kelleigh Bannen presented by HANK-FM and Royal Pin Leisure Centers
• Thursday, Aug. 7: Josh Kaufman presented by WZPL and Kaplan University
• Friday, Aug. 8, 6-9 p.m.: Maggie Rose; Brothers Osborne; and Chase Rice, presented by WFMS
• Saturday, Aug. 9, 5 p.m.: Dylan Scott presented by WFMS; Dakota Bradley presented by WFMS
• Sunday, Aug. 10, 2-9 p.m.: Contemporary Christian Music Fest featuring Rend Collective Experiment
• Monday, Aug. 11, 7:30 p.m.: Grammy-nominated Canadian band Barenaked Ladies
• Tuesday, Aug. 12, 7 p.m.:  “Happy Together Tour” with The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie;  Chuck Negron formerly of Three Dog Night; Mark Farner formerly of Grand Funk Railroad; Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels; and Gary Lewis & The Playboys
• Wednesday, Aug. 13, 7:30 p.m.: Folk rockers America and Country rock legend Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
• Thursday, Aug. 14, 7:30 p.m.: The Temptations Review featuring Dennis Edwards
• Friday, Aug. 15, 7:30 p.m.: Classic rock band Kansas
• Saturday, Aug. 16, 7:30 p.m.:  Southern blues, funk, rock singer Marc Broussard
• Sunday, Aug. 17, 4-9:30 p.m.:  Pepsi Gospel Music Fest feat. Dorinda Clark-Cole

All of these shows are free with paid admission to the fair. The Free Stage, a permanent stage in the northwest corner of the fairgrounds in the Dow AgroSciences Celebration Park, can accommodate about 5,000 fans. For more information, visit www.indianastatefair.com.

General admission is $10; discount tickets are $7; kids 5 and younger are free. Discount tickets are available at www.indianastatefair.com presented by Mattress Firm and the Indiana State Fair box office through July 31, and can also be purchased at all participating Indiana Walmart stores and all CVS/pharmacy stores while supplies last. State Fair parking is $5.