Exterior of First Avenue in Minneapolis
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Discover Why Minneapolis Is a Top 10 City for Live Music

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Formerly a Greyhound bus depot, First Avenue is now Minnesota's premier live music venue / First Avenue, courtesy Meet Minneapolis

Discover Why Minneapolis Is a Top 10 City for Live Music

By Alyssa Hayes

Over the years, Minnesota’s music marvels have played a major role in shaping popular music history, due in large part to legendary artists such as Prince, Bob Dylan, The Replacements, Atmosphere and more.

The Twin Cities music scene gets a special shout out from locals and visitors alike for its rich diversity, varied venues, local talent and outdoor festivals. And publications including National Geographic, Travel + Leisure and Culture Owl all rank Minneapolis as one of the top 10 cities for live music in the entire country.

‘Local’ is not a genre, but a fierce, hard-working streak found among our area talent.

“Cross-pollination makes the Twin Cities music scene a vital one. ‘Local’ is not a genre, but a fierce, hard-working streak found among our area talent,” notes Reed Fischer, editor of Minnesota Monthly. “Folk singers end up as guest vocalists on hip-hop records, there are a dozen venues that sell out regularly with local headliners, radio stations love to play Minnesota artists, and there's a good chance that the person standing next to you at a show has a band of their own.”

Friends walking in front of the Palace Theatre in St. Paul

The lovingly restored Palace Theatre is a live music mecca in downtown St. Paul / Paul Vincent

Legendary Venues

Whether you groove to jazz and blues, indie, punk, reggae, rock, country or classical, you’ll find live music in small coffeehouses, bars and taprooms, auditoriums and big-name venues across the Twin Cities. Discover new and well-established talent at local clubs including First AvenueVarsity Theater, Mill City Nights, Icehouse and the Cabooze in Minneapolis, and The Amsterdam, Turf Club and Palace Theatre in St. Paul.

Jazz and blues fans shouldn’t miss The Dakota Jazz Club in downtown Minneapolis and the Minnesota Music Cafe on St. Paul's east side. The Fine Line in downtown Minneapolis and the summer concert series at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley both feature eclectic lineups, and The Cedar Cultural Center near the University of Minnesota campus is renowned for world music.

With all of these venues and many more, there’s not a night in the week you can’t find live music.

Rock the Garden festival crowd

Rock the Garden combines sculpture art installations and live performances for one of the summer's best music festivals / Walker Art Center

Major Music Festivals

Music festivals in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area can be the focal point for a visit. In May, Soundset kicks off the summer with a full day of hip-hop at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. In late June, the Twin Cities Jazz Festival draws thousands to Mears Park for a weekend of free live music. 

Summer music festivals continue with the Basilica Block Party in July, with big-name pop rockers and local favorites playing on multiple stages. Closing out the season, the Grandstand at the Minnesota State Fair hosts a different performer every night; recent headliners include Brandi Carlile, Weird Al Yankovic and Hootie & the Blowfish.

For the hearty, there are even outdoor concerts in winter. As part of The Great Northern festival in late January, you can catch a free performance on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis.

Alyssa Hayes

Alyssa Hayes is Explore Minnesota’s public information officer. She is a lover of all things you can find #OnlyinMN, including: boating, fishing and paddling our nearly 12,000 lakes, good food, family fun and tax-free shopping.