Minnesota leads the country as the number one ranked state in public arts spending, with nearly $10 per capita invested in public funding for the arts in 2024. That’s because Minnesotans have long valued the arts as a part of our vibrant, thriving community. In fact, our state’s enthusiasm for live performance was what drew Sir Tyrone Guthrie from London to Minnesota, where he founded the Guthrie Theater in 1963 — still considered a crown jewel of American regional theater today.
Along with its incredible stage performance scene, the Twin Cities also boasts two world-renowned orchestras, a resident opera company and numerous award-winning dance companies. Not to mention First Avenue, one of the nation’s most iconic rock venues. Whether you’re looking to take in a Broadway National Tour or visit Paisley Park, explore everything the Star of the North has to offer for world-class performing arts in theater, music and dance.
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Theater
Home to three Tony award–winning regional theater companies, Minnesota is fourth in the nation in total Tony wins. The Guthrie, Children’s Theatre Company and Theatre de la Jeune Lune (now The Moving Company) have all taken home the nation’s top theatrical prize. Even more impressive, the Children’s Theater is the only theater for young audiences in the nation to earn that distinction.
Not only is the Guthrie Minnesota’s flagship theater, it’s the birthplace of the American regional theater movement. Founded in 1963, it was built on the principle that the highest-caliber theater shouldn’t require a trip to Broadway. In 2006, the theater moved from its Loring Park home to a brand-new 285,000-square-foot facility on the Mississippi River designed by famed French architect Jean Nouvel. Today, the Guthrie attracts world premieres from the likes of Tony Kushner and Mark Rylance. And even if you’re not taking in a show, the stunning building is open to the public, including the iconic cantilever bridge and amber box, where you can take in outstanding views of the Minneapolis river front, Mill District and the city itself.
Other must-visit Minnesota theaters include Penumbra, one of the nation’s most lauded Black companies (famous for launching the career of August Wilson); Theater Latté Da, a cutting-edge producer of intimate musical theater; the social-justice focused Mixed Blood; and The Jungle, Ten Thousand Things, and the Playwrights’ Center (which has developed new works by theatrical heavyweights like Paula Vogel and Suzan-Lori Parks.) Minneapolis and St. Paul are also major destinations for Broadway National tours. To see a Broadway show without the flight to New York, you can go to Hennepin Arts or the Ordway. For something a little less conventional, check out the Walker Art Center’s offerings, which often include works by international companies like Ontoerend Goed.
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Music
Minnesota is home to one of the nation’s most diverse and vibrant music scenes. With two top orchestras (the Minnesota Orchestra and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra), the iconic First Avenue and too many independent venues to count, there’s always something new to experience. Or as The New York Times describes it, “The state is a hotbed of corrosive underground rock, birthplace of two acclaimed icons, home to a lively hip-hop scene and bedrock of 80s pop and funk.”
For decades now, First Avenue has been the center of Minnesota’s music scene. It’s been rocking for more than 50 years and embodies what it means for a venue to be truly independent. It’s a shining example of why Prince famously declared that “rock and roll is alive (and it lives in Minneapolis).” Even if you’ve never been to Minneapolis, you may have seen the famed hot spot before; it’s where the concert scenes from Purple Rain were filmed. The venue’s smaller annex, 7th St Entry, has become nearly as legendary as a launching pad for bands that would go on to play much bigger rooms, like the Replacements, Hüsker Dü and Soul Asylum.
If you’re looking for a more relaxed vibe, Minneapolis also has plenty of jazz options. Try dinner and a show at the Dakota Jazz Club or check out Berlin, one of the newest additions to Minneapolis nightlife in the trendy North Loop neighborhood. More of a classics buff? Then you won’t want to miss the world-renowned Minnesota Opera.
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Dance
Don’t sleep on our small-but-mighty dance scene. You can’t tell the story of Minnesota’s dance community without mentioning the Walker Art Center, which played host to groundbreaking performances by Bill T. Jones, Merce Cunningham and Meredith Monk. The Walker is still deeply invested in the local dance community and hosts a regular choreographer’s evening for admirers of the physical artform.
The Land of 10,000 Lakes is also home to internationally renowned companies like Arena Dances, Threads Dance Project, Ragamala and TU Dance, as well as fun-focused, theatrical-hybrid companies like Collide. And fans of ballet should keep an eye out for the annual and distinctive production of Loyce Houlton’s Nutcracker Fantasy — a must-see for any enthusiast.
