The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutrient intake, ruminal and intestinal digestibility, and the ruminal fermentation of beef cattle fed fresh sugarcane (SC) chopped in 2 particle sizes (PS) and 2 levels of concentrate (40 and 60%, DM basis). The treatments were: 1) Fine-chopped sugarcane and 40% C (FSC-40); 2) Fine-chopped sugarcane and 60% C (FSC-60); 3) Coarse-chopped sugarcane and 40% C (CSC-40); and 4) Coarse-chopped sugarcane and 60% C (CSC-60). Four Holstein × Zebu steers (average BW of 510 ± 11 kg) were used, distributed in a 4 × 4 Latin square design, with a 2 × 2 factorial. The experiment lasted 64 d and was divided in 4 periods of 16 d each (10 d for adaptation and 6 d for samples and data collection). Data from intake and digestibility were analyzed including in the model the fixed effects of PS, C and the interaction PS × C, and the random effects of animal and period. For the ruminal fermentation data, a scheme of time-repeated measurements was used considering the sampling time (before feeding, 2, 4 and 6 h after feeding). The geometric means (X_gm) were 8.30 and 15.92 mm for the FSC and CSC, respectively. The intake of DM, OM and NDF were affected by the interaction PS × C (P < 0.05). The diet containing FSC showed higher intake of these nutrients than CSC-diet when 60% C was added. The amounts of OM and NDF digested in the rumen were affected by the interaction PS × C (P < 0.05). The diet FSC-60 had higher amounts of OM and NDF digested in the rumen than the diet CSC-60. The amounts of OM and NDF digested in the intestine were higher in the diets containing 60% than the diets with 40% C (P < 0.05). The diet FSC-60 had the lowest (P < 0.05) pH (5.75). The ruminal ammonia-nitrogen was affected by sampling time (P < 0.05) and had a quadradic behavior. We concluded that fine-chopped sugarcane (X_gm = 8.30 mm) in diets with 60% of concentrate increases the intake and digestibility of nutrients without compromise the ruminal fermentation of crossbred steers.