Music to our ears

After a two-year interlude, one of Twin Cities’ most celebrated events is set to crank things up once again…the Basilica Block Party is back! Mark your calendars for August 2-3, 2024, to celebrate the popular music festival’s return to a new location at Boom Island featuring a killer lineup of some of the hottest national and local musical acts. With more than 20 bands booked to appear, it’s set to be the biggest Basilica Block Party yet!

Banding together for the Basilica

Construction began on the Basilica of Saint Mary in 1907 and took almost 20 years to complete. A community landmark, the Basilica was considered to be one of the area’s finest examples of Beaux Arts architecture. However, years of harsh Minnesota winters, ice damage, and postponed maintenance led to the structure’s decline and by the 1990s it was feared that the building would have to be closed.

That’s when a group composed of staff and volunteers banded together and launched the first Basilica Block Party in 1995. That first year, the event drew in more than 15,000 concert goers, raised over $100,000, and quickly became the high note of the summer season in Minneapolis.

For more than two decades, Block Party audiences rocked out to some pretty notable musicians including 10,000 Maniacs, Jonny Lang, Hootie & the Blowfish, Soul Asylum, Train, Barenaked Ladies, The Lumineers, and Matchbox 20 to name just a few.

The Block Party is a hit

The Basilica Block Party is one of the longest running nonprofit music festivals in the U.S., raising more than $5.5 million since 1995. Proceeds from the Party go to the Basilica for its ongoing preservation and restoration as well as to maintain its historic appearance as an iconic Minneapolis landmark. But that’s not all.

A full 5% of the proceeds goes to support the St. Vincent de Paul Outreach Initiative that helps care for the unhoused and offers direct assistance to people in need. That kind of outreach seems to really strike a chord with the community.

Scaling up

A large construction project is currently tying up a parking lot where the event’s main stage would typically be located. That’s why this year’s Block Party has moved to Boom Island Park on the shores of the Mississippi River. With a capacity for 30,000 concert goers (nearly double the capacity of past years) this year’s Party has definitely scaled up.

With two stages (one for headliners and the other for local acts) there are more than 20 bands scheduled to appear.

Basilica Block Party Friday, August 2, 2024 lineup

Main Stage

• Goo Goo Dolls
• The Fray
• Dean Lewis
• Red Clay Strays
• Yam Haus
• Socktopus

Local Stage

• Run Westy Run
• Black Widows
• The Ocean Blue
• Whiskey Rock and Roll  Club
• Parishes
• Cindy Lawson

Basilica Block Party Saturday, August 3, 2024 lineup

Main Stage

• Counting Crows
• Needtobreathe
• Judah & the Lion
• Phillip Phillips
• Ingrid Andress
• Guytano

Local Stage

• St. Paul and the Minneapolis Funk All Stars
• Nur-D
• The Mary Jane Alm Band
• She’s Green
• The Muatas

Come rain or shine, doors open at noon on both days and music begins at 12:30 pm.

Music, food, and all that jazz

While all this great music has the power to nourish the soul, it doesn’t mean you have to go hungry while you rock the day away. A variety of food and beverage options will be available for purchase to all festival attendees.

On that note…

This year’s Party is going to be bigger and better than ever, so we don’t recommend you play it by ear and wait until the day of to buy tickets. Advance sale tickets are going fast, and you’ll want to score yours early. Single and 2-day tickets are available now and can only be purchased at the Basilica Block Party website . Tickets purchased through any other vendor are not valid.

For answers to frequently asked questions, set times, information on sponsors, becoming a vendor, and more, visit the official Basilica Block Party website.

What : Basilica Block Party

Where: Boom Island, 434 NE Main Street, Minneapolis, MN 55412

When: August 2 & 3, 2024, doors open at noon

Why: So you can do your part for the community while rocking out to some of the best bands around