2026 MN music festivals and outdoor concert series: some are free, some kid-friendly, all are fun!

After the winter we’ve had, we have earned some fun in the sun! So, I’ve done my annual collection of outdoor music fests. I’m focused on free events, but there are several that aren’t fee. Please be sure to check the event website for updates.

Finally, please let me know if you have a festival or series to add – I’m afraid I can’t take on individual events.

Festivals

May 8-9: Midwest Music Fest (Winona)
May 9: Riot Moms fundraiser with music, art, wellness (St Paul)
May 14-17: Infrared Music Festival (Clarks Grove)
May 15-17: Art a Whirl (various locations in Northeast Mpls)
May 15-17: SEMBA Bluegrass Festival (Houston)
May 17-24: Dylan Fest (Duluth)
May 22: Lumberstock (Music from youth in Stillwater)
May 24-25: Rise and Remember (Geroge Floyd Square Mpls)
May 29-30: Flint Hills Family Festival (Mears Park, St Paul not all events are free)
May 23: Red, White Blues Festival (Waconia)
May 30: Roots, Rock& Deep Blues XIII (Hook & Ladder)
June 3-7: Prince Celebration at Paisley Park
June 5-6: Caterwaul Music Gathering (Zhora Darling Mpls)
June 6: Northborn Music Festival (Warroad)
June 7: Grand Old Day (7:30am-6pm in St Paul)
June 7: Juneteenth Minnesota I (Minneapolis)
June 10-13: Kick’n Up Kountry (Karlstad)
June 13: Festival Rialto (Grand Rapids)
June 13: Delano Sculpture and Blues Fest (10am-4pm)
June 13-14: Deutsche Tage (German Days) (Germanic American Institute in St Paul)
June 13-14: Midtown Music and Art Festival (Mpls)
June 18: Kingfield PorchFest (Minneapolis)
June 18-20: Rockin’ Rogers – Rogers
June 19: Soul of the Sountside (Minneapolis)
June 19-20: Twin Cities Jazz Festival Various Locations (not all events are free)
June 19-20 – Rock the Bayfront Festival (Grandma’s Marathon) (Duluth)
June 19-20: Winstock Country Music Festival – Winsted
June 20-21: Stone Arch Bridge Festival (10am-7pm Sat; 10am-5pm in Mpls)
June 25-27: Great Midwest Music Fest (Mystic Lake)
June 26-27: Rocking the Island (Treasure Island)
June 26-27: Breakaway Fest (Allianz Field)_
June 27: Bridge City Music Festival (Virginia)
June 27-28: Twin Cities Pride (Loring Park, Mpls)
June 28-July 19: MN Beethoven Festival (Winona)
July 3-4: Taste of Minnesota (Minneapolis)
July 8: Music in Plymouth
July 9-11: Vicki’s Camp N Country Jam (Redwood Falls)
July 9-12: Lutsong Music Festival (Lutsen)
July 10-11: Minnesota County Club (St Paul)
July 10-11: RiverSong Music Festival (Hutchinson)
July 10-11: Rhythm of the River Music Festival (Jackson)
July 10-11: Lakefront Music Fest (Prior Lake)
July 10-12: River’s Edge Art & More Fair/Watona Park Blues Festival (Madelia)
July 11-12: Art Stock Art, Wine and Music Festival (Chaska)
July 17-19 – Lumberjack Days (Stillwater)
July 17-19: Minnesota Yacht Club Festival (Saint Paul, not free)
July 18: Bayfront Reggae & World Music Festival
July 19: Minnesota Original Music Festival (St Peter)
July 18: Bayfront Reggae and World Music Festival (Duluth)
July 23-26: Recfest Bluegrass Festival (Milaca)
July 24-25: The Great Beyond (Franklin)
July 25-27: Palmfest (Minneapolis)
July 30-August 2: Mile of Music (Appleton WI)
July 30 – Aug 2ust: Vintage Band Festival (Northfield)
July 31- August 23: Lakes Area Music Festival (Brainerd)
August 1: NershFest (56 Brewing Co in Mpls)
August 6-16: Minnesota Fringe Festival (Minneapolis)
August 6-9: Minnesota Bluegrass August Festival (Richmond)
August 7-8: City on the Hill Music Festival (Duluth)
August 7-9: Irish Fair of Minnesota (St Paul)
August 14-15: Lakeside Guitar Festival (Como Lake, St. Paul)
August 14-16: Bayfront Blues Festival (Duluth)
August 26-30: Lakes Bluegrass Festival (Pine River)
August 19-23: Marshall Sounds of Summer (Marshall)
August 27 – September 7: MN State Fair
- Bonnie Raitt (August 27)
- “Weird Al” Yankovic (August 28)
- Sierra Ferrell (August 30)
- Tommy James & The Shondells (August 31)
- Rod Stewart (September 1)
- AJR (September 2)
- Brad Paisley (September 3)
- HARDY (September 4)
- TLC and Salt-N-Pepa (September 5)
August 19-22: Common Roots Festival (St. Cloud)
August 28: Rural Music Fest (Isle)
September 19: Powderhorn Porchfest (4-10pm at various locations in South Mpls)
September 24-26: Boats and Bluegrass (Winona)

Music Series

Various Days Minneapolis Music in Parks

Various Days in St Paul Parks

Como Pavillion (Dock & Paddle)
City House
Mears Lunchtime Series
The St Paul Get Down
Summer Nights in Rice
- June 19: Mississippi (contemporary jazz)
- June 26: Ethno USA ‘On the Road’ (folk, world and traditional music by international musicians)
- July 10: Boiled in Lead (Celtic punk and world music)
- July 31: Kendra Glenn Band (R&B, blues and soul)
- August 7: Café Accordion Orchestra (French flare, Latin heat and Bohemian attitude)
- August 21: International Reggae All Stars (Reggae, dancehall and Bob Marley classics)

Tuesdays Rockin’ Robbins I (Willmar)

Wednesdays Live at the Lake (Bayfront Park)

The Jolly Pops | June 3 | 6-7 p.m. | Kid Night
Johnny Holm Band | June 10 | 6-8 p.m. | Car Night
The Abiders | June 17 | 6-8 p.m.
Power of 10 | June 24 | 6-8 p.m. | Car Night
Rockin’ All Stars | July 1 | 6-8 p.m.
Traveled Ground | July 8 | 6-8 p.m. | Car Night
The Bazillions | July 15 | 6-7 p.m. | Kid Night
Anti-skip Protection | July 22 | 6-8 p.m. | Car Night
Thomas Sticha | July 29 | 6-8 p.m.
Riffin’ Griffin | Aug. 5 | 6-7 p.m. | Kid Night
Colin Bracewell | Aug. 12 | 6-8 p.m. | Car Night
Pan-handlers Steel Drum Band | Aug. 19 | 6-8 p.m.
Pandora’s Other Box | Aug. 26 | 6-8 p.m. | Car Night

Wednesdays Grooving in the Garden (Como Park)

June 10 – Innocent Reggae Band – Roots Reggae
June 17 – Miss Georgia Peach – Classic Country with Hee-Haw Vibes
June 24 – Jellyjacket – All-Star Minnesota Rock & Roll Band
July 1 – Betty Won’t – Twangy, Blues-Soaked Rock & Roll
July 8 – Salsa del Soul – High-Energy Latin Dance Music
July 15 – J-Mo On The Beat & The J-Lighters – Rockabilly, Blues, and Indie
July 22 – Red Eye Ruby – Soul, Blues, and R&B
July 29 – School of Rock –St. Paul & Plymouth House Bands

Wednesdays 2026 FORWARD Concert Series in Rochester (various Wednesdays with local artists)

June 3: Cori Kennedy at Mayo Park
June 10: Davina & the Vagabonds at Cascade Lake Park
June 17: Sleeping Jesus at Allendale Park
August 12: Jeremy Messersmith at John Withers Sports Complex
August 19: Raynes at White Oaks Park
August 26: Me Like Bees at Cook Park

Wednesdays Three Rivers Parks Silverwood Stage

June 10 Mike Munson Trio Jazz/Americana
June 17 Obi Original and The Black Atlantics Afrobeat
June 24 Saltydog Funk/Jam Band
July 1 We are the Willows Art Rock
July 8 Kiernan Indie Folk
July 15 Pat Keen Bug Band Lounge, Folk, Jazz
July 22 Afflatus Folk/Funk
July 29 Fish On Hooks Bluegrass/Folk/Psych
August 5 Space Monkey Mafia Ska Punk
August 12 Dilly Dally Alley Neosoul/Indie Pop
August 19 Brandt, Hager, Mullis & Carranza Folk/Americana/Indie

Thursdays Lowertown Sound (Mears Park St Paul)

June 4: Dr. Mambo’s Combo; Purple Funk Metropolis; Lips Speak Louder
June 11: Polica; Sophie Hiroko
June 18: The New Standards; Black Market Brass
June 25: Flamin Oh’s; Christy Costello & the CC Club
July 9: Ashley Dubose; Mae Simpson
July 16: The Scarlet Goodbye; High on Stress
July 23: Salsa del Soul; Tropical Zone Orchestra
July 30: Pert Near Sandstone; Cole Diamond; Jack Klatt

Fridays Art in the Park (Pine City)

May 22: Pine City High School Jazz Band
May 29:
June 5: Holy Rocka Rollaz
June 12: Roxxy Hall Band
June 19: Eclectic Barn Boys
June 26: The Whitesidewalls
July 3: Monroe Crossing
July 10: The Tucker Baker Band
July 24: The Farmer’s Daughters
August 7: fABBAulous
August 15: The Dweebs

Fridays Silver Bay Free Music in the Park (Fridays starting July 17 – north of Duluth)

July 17: The Belfast Cowboys
July 24: Lolos Ghost
July 31: Jeff Dayton Band
August 7: Erik Koskinen Band
August 14: Turn, Turn, Turn
August 21: The Scarlet Goodbye

Saturdays and Sundays Brookside Summer Music Series in Marine St. Croix

May 23: Inside Straight Blues Band
May 24: Tony Cuchetti
May 30: Maygen & The Birdwatcher
May 31: Riverside Hitmen
June 6: The Oatmeal Band
June 7: Tennessee Stiffs
June 13: Erin McCawley’s Harrison Street Band
June 14: Bethany Larson & the Bee’s Knees
June 20: Craig Clark Band
June 21: The Thomas & James Band
June 27: Love Songs for Angry Men
June 28: Samantha Grimes
July 4: PK Mayo
July 5: Brother Jon Band
July 11: Corey Medina & Brothers
July 12: Brotherhood of Birds
July 18: Inside Straight Band feat. The Big Horns
July 19: Jeni Grouws Band
July 25: Red Eye Ruby
July 26: MoeDeLL
August 1: The Thirsty River
August 2: Bluedog
August 8: Lost Island Society
August 9: The Barley Jacks
August 15: Joe Flip
August 16: My Grandma’s Cardigan
August 22: Danny Frank & The Smoky Gold
August 23: Riverside Rockets
August 29: 73 Paces
August 30: The Huckleberries
September 5: Lena & The LoveKills
September 6: Maria and the Coins
September 12: The New Feral Cats
September 13: Mark Stary
September 19: Cole Diamond
September 20: Jesse & Faydra
September 26: Joyann Parker
September 27: Clayton Ryan
October 3: Oktoberfest with Bill Koncar Band
October 4: Freaque