This past week, Paisley Park and it’s management held Prince Celebration 2026, a five-day event honoring the tenth anniversary of Prince’s passing. Consisting of concerts, panels, and parties held in downtown Minneapolis and at Paisley Park, Prince’s home and studio, the event was a feast for all music lovers, from die-hard Prince fans to fans of the Minneapolis Sound and even casual listeners.
The Artists.
Prince Celebration 2026 featured a wide scope of musical artists related to Prince, from legendary musicians who worked with and inspired him, such as Chaka Khan, Morris Day and trailblazing funk pioneer Bootsy Collins, to contemporary artists who Prince mentored and himself inspired, including Miguel, Bilal, and CeeLo Green, and many others. Represented as well were famous longtime Prince collaborators including Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Revolution bandmembers Lisa Coleman and Bobby Z, as well as a platoon of former members of Prince’s New Power Generation. Together these artists provided showstopping performances and provided insights in to their music, careers, and work with Prince.
The City of Minneapolis.
This year Celebration’s events and concerts took place throughout downtown Minneapolis, showcasing the many live music venues that the city features, including exciting newer venues like Royalston Square, longtime fixtures such as The Armory and the legendary First Avenue, where Prince got his start, and where much of the film Purple Rain was filmed, and the soundstage at Paisley Park, where countless Prince concerts took place and the movie Sign O’ The Times was filmed.
Paisley Park.
Once Prince’s home and studio, Paisley Park is now a museum and event space and a premier Minnesota tourist destination. With access to a vast trove of Prince artifacts and media, Paisley Park is able to regularly refresh its exhibits and content so that visiting is a new experience every time. The Paisley Park and management team have created strong relationships with the City of Minneapolis and surrounding businesses and venues in order successfully plan and manage events like Prince Celebration both at Paisley Park and downtown, Minneapolis.
The Minneapolis Community.
The Prince Block Party and singalong was a free community event that brought an estimated 10,000 people to downtown Minneapolis to dance and sing their favorite Prince tunes. It was inspiring to see the enthusiasm the community brought not only for Prince, but for the numerous local and national artists who performed at the Block Party, from high school musicians in local music programs to international recording artists like Ceelo Green. In addition, Prince Celebration took the spirit of Prince’s philanthropy and community service with a series of memorial site visits, food drives and Prince night baseball game all to share with the local community.
The Fans.
Prince’s fans are fierce and dedicated, and often possess an encyclopedic knowledge of Prince and his music. Many have been coming annually to the Twins Cities and to Paisley Park from around the country or around the world to celebrate Prince for nearly a decade. Ten years after Prince’s passing, they are more spirited than ever, protective of Prince, and outspoken in their opinions as to how his music and art should be promoted. In short, they continue to have the passion and loyalty for Prince and his continued legacy which has been duly noted by Paisley Park and its management.
The Younger Generation.
While Prince has many older fans, it was especially heartening to see from the numerous public and private events, concerts, block party and the participation in the discussion panels that there are many younger Prince fans out there who are passionate about his music and his fashion style also, and that will continue to carry his legacy forward.
Prince.
There has never been another artist like Prince, and has never been another event like this where, ten years after his death, fans come from all over the world to celebrate him and his legacy and thousands of residents of his home town come together to sing his songs and dance to his music. June 7 would have been Prince’s 68th birthday. While he is gone, his music and his legacy lives on, in Minneapolis, and around the world.
