The spring and summer concert calendar has a little something for everyone, from Rock and Roll Hall of Famers (AC/DC, James Taylor, Nine Inch Nails) to hip hop stars (Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone) to rockers (Pantera, Linkin Park, Deftones).
Keep in mind that some large venues use dynamic pricing, which means ticket prices can vary. Also, the prices noted here do not include VIP packages or platinum tickets, which typically run into the hundreds of dollars.
Here’s a look at what’s on tap in the coming months.
AC/DC
AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson. (Photo by Valerie Macon, AFP via Getty Images)
April 10: Rock and Roll Hall of Famers AC/DC kick off their first U.S. tour in nine years — and possibly the band’s final tour ever — in Minneapolis. The group, which celebrated their 50th anniversary last December, is hitting 13 stadiums across the country during the tour, which is named after “Power Up,” AC/DC’s 17th album. It was released in November 2020, hit No. 1 in 21 countries and was nominated for three Grammys including best rock album. Guitarist Angus Young, the only continuous member in the band’s 51 year history, co-wrote the songs with his brother Malcolm, who died in 2017. 7 p.m.; U.S. Bank Stadium, 401 Chicago Ave., Mpls.; sold out; ticketmaster.com.
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar performs during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (Frank Franklin II / Associated Press)
April 19: After breaking viewership records with his Super Bowl halftime in February, acclaimed rapper Kendrick Lamar is also opening his tour at U.S. Bank Stadium with his frequent collaborator SZA also on the bill. A California native, Lamar began rapping as a teen and found his breakthrough success with his 2012 sophomore album “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City,” which became the longest-charting hip-hop album in the Billboard 200’s chart history. He curated the songs for the soundtrack to the 2018 film “Black Panther” and earned an Oscar nomination for “All the Stars,” one of his many songs with SZA, who is featured on two tracks on Lamar’s latest album “GNX.” 7 p.m.; U.S. Bank Stadium, 401 Chicago Ave., Mpls.; $458.65-$209.35; ticketmaster.com.
Katy Perry
Katy Perry performs onstage during the 61st Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 10, 2019, in Los Angeles. (Obyn Beck / AFP / Getty Images)
May 13: Pop star Katy Perry is back on the road for her first tour in seven years. She began her career in 2001 as a contemporary Christian artist. But after her record label closed shop, Perry moved to Los Angeles and eventually landed at Capitol Records in 2007. The following year, her debut single “I Kissed a Girl” hit No. 1 in the U.S. and around the world. The follow-up singles “Hot n Cold” and “Waking Up in Vegas” were also hits, but Perry’s career didn’t truly take off until 2010’s “Teenage Dream.” It was the second album in history, after Michael Jackson’s “Bad,” to land five singles at No. 1: “California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” “Firework,” “E.T.” and “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.).” Perry’s fourth album “Prism” spawned two more chart-toppers with “Roar” and “Dark Horse.” In the dozen years since, Perry has struggled to land more hits with 2017’s “Chained to the Rhythm” standing as her sole Top 10 entry in that time. 7 p.m.; Target Center, 600 First Ave. N., Mpls.; $374.60-$74.45; ticketmaster.com.
Post Malone
Post Malone performs “America the Beautiful” during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano)
May 20: The man born Austin Richard Post first turned heads with his 2015 debut single “White Iverson,” which he posted to SoundCloud that February. It earned more than a million plays in its first month, leading to a deal with Republic Records. Malone’s 2016 album “Stoney” spawned several more multi-platinum hits, including “Too Young,” “Go Flex” and “Congratulations.” From there, Malone went on to release a series of singles that were RIAA-certified diamond for sales and streams of at least 10 million units, including “Rockstar,” “I Fall Apart,” “Psycho,” “Better Now,” “Wow” and “Circles.” His latest album, “F-1 Trillion,” delves into country and features collaborations with Morgan Wallen, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Dolly Parton and Chris Stapleton, among others. 7:30 p.m.; U.S. Bank Stadium, 401 Chicago Ave., Mpls.; $561.10-$199.60; ticketmaster.com.
The Weeknd
June 14: The man born Abel Tesfaye adopted the Weeknd name in 2011, when he self-released a trio of mixtapes that led to a major label deal with Republic Records. His long list of hits includes “Love Me Harder,” “The Hills,” “Can’t Feel My Face,” “Starboy,” “I Feel it Coming,” “Die for You,” “Pray for Me,” “Call Out My Name,” “Blinding Lights,” “Save Your Tears,” “One Right Now,” “Creepin’” and “Timeless.” He’s got a feature film coming out May 16 that’s based on his sixth album “Hurry Up Tomorrow.” 7 p.m.; U.S. Bank Stadium, 401 Chicago Ave., Mpls.; $650.50-$76.90; ticketmaster.com.
James Taylor
James Taylor performs onstage during the 7th Annual Sean Penn and Friends Haiti Rising Gala benefiting J/P Haitian Relief Organization on January 6, 2018, in Hollywood, California. (Michael Kovac/Getty Images for for J/P HRO Gala)
June 17: Rock and Roll Hall of Famer James Taylor will return to Xcel Energy Center for his sixth performance in the downtown St. Paul hockey arena. A six-time Grammy winner, Taylor began playing guitar at age 12 and wrote his first song two years later. But he struggled in high school and ended up spending nine months in a psychiatric hospital dealing with severe depression. Taylor later moved to Manhattan to pursue music, but found little success as well as an addiction to heroin. After a stint in rehab, Taylor used a family inheritance to move to London where he became the first non-British act signed to the Beatles’ Apple Records label in 1968. It wasn’t until yet another relocation, this time to California, that Taylor broke through with his sophomore album “Sweet Baby James” and the single “Fire and Rain.” From there, Taylor enjoyed a run of hits with “You’ve Got a Friend,” “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight,” “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You),” “Shower the People” and “Handy Man.” 7:30 p.m.; Xcel Energy Center, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul; $175.70-$71.55; ticketmaster.com.
Minnesota Yacht Club Festival
Billie Joe Armstrong, Tré Cool and Mike Dirnt of Green Day perform On ABC’s “Good Morning America” at Rumsey Playfield, Central Park on July 26, 2024 in New York City. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
July 18-20: Green Day, Hozier and Fall Out Boy headline the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival, which extends to three days in its sophomore year. It’s the first major rock and pop music festival on St. Paul’s Harriet Island since 2012’s ill-fated River’s Edge Music Festival. Hozier headlines opening day, which also features Alabama Shakes, Train, Sheryl Crow, Father John Misty, Gigi Perez, the 502s and Hamilton Leithauser. Fall Out Boy tops Saturday’s bill of Weezer, Remi Wolf, O.A.R., Cory Wong, Motion City Soundtrack, Silversun Pickups and Jake Clemons. Green Day wraps the weekend with Sublime, 311, Garbage, Semisonic, Beach Bunny, the Beaches and Grace Bowers and the Hodge Podge. Prices listed are for general admission, general admission plus and VIP tickets. Pricier riverboat VIP and platinum packages are also available. Harriet Island Regional Park, 49 Harriet Island Road, St. Paul; $495-$150 (single day) and $845-$295 (all three days); minnesotayachtclubfestival.com.
The Lumineers
Lauren Jacobson, from left, Brandon Miller, Wesley Schultz, Jeremiah Fraites, Stelth Ulvang and Byron Isaacs of The Lumineers perform at the Innings Festival at Raymond James Stadium Ground on Sunday March 20, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)
July 25: The Denver-based Lumineers emerged in 2012 with the single “Ho Hey,” which hit No. 1 in the States and the Top 10 across Europe. The band’s self-titled debut has been certified triple platinum. At the time, it seemed like the band was destined to become a one-hit wonder, but they’ve maintained a steady presence on rock radio and are a popular concert draw. Locally, they headlined Target Center in 2013 and 2017, Xcel Energy Center in 2022 and Somerset (Wis.) Amphitheater in 2023. The tour supports the group’s fifth album, “Automatic,” which drummer Jeremiah Fraites said has “a palpable sense of connection between (lead vocalist) Wes (Schultz) and me. There’s lots of love on this record.” 7:30 p.m.; Xcel Energy Center, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul; $256.60-$246.30; ticketmaster.com.
Pantera
Phil Anselmo of Pantera performs at Soldier Field on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Chicago, Ill. (Photo by Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP)
Aug. 7: Brothers Darrell and Vincent Abbott formed Pantera in 1981 and adopted the stage names Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul. They released a trio of glam metal albums before taking a turn toward harder sounds when they hired vocalist Phil Anselmo in 1986. Pantera’s fifth album, 1990’s “Cowboys from Hell,” broke the band to a wider audience and went platinum. They went on to release four more best-selling records, including 1992’s double platinum “Vulgar Display of Power.” In 2003, the Abbott brothers officially disbanded the group amid a war of words between the parties in the press. The brothers went on to form a new band, Damageplan, that ended in tragedy when a 25-year-old man walked on stage during a concert and fatally shot Dimebag Darrell. Vinnie Paul died in 2018 at the age of 54 of heart disease. Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown revived Pantera in 2023 and added longtime Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde and Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante to the lineup. 7 p.m.; Target Center, 600 First Ave. N., Mpls.; $331.55-$60.90; ticketmaster.com.
Tate McRae
Tate McRae performs at The Greek Theatre on July 11, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
Aug. 13: Canadian pop star Tate McRae began dance lessons at age 6 and furthered her studies at the training school for the Alberta Ballet Company. She went on to perform with various American dance troupes and, in 2016, made it to third place on “So You Think You Can Dance.” The following year, McRae began posting her own original songs on her YouTube channel, which was previously devoted to dance videos. Her track “One Day” earned the attention of nearly a dozen record labels. She signed with RCA in 2019 and released her breakthrough single “You Broke Me First” the following year. In the time since, McRae found further success with “You,” “She’s All I Wanna Be,” “10:35,” “Greedy” and “Exes.” 7:30 p.m.; Xcel Energy Center, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul; sold out; ticketmaster.com.
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails front man Trent Reznor performs at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013. Reznor, Academy Award-winning score composer and business investor, has been the front man for Nine Inch Nails for 37 years. (Simon Guerra / Pioneer Press)
Aug. 17: Founded by Trent Reznor in 1988, Nine Inch Nails blossomed into the biggest industrial rock band around in the ’90s thanks to 1994’s Grammy-nominated album “The Downward Spiral” and its singles “March of the Pigs” and “Closer.” In the years since, Reznor has used various Nine Inch Nails lineups to record and tour, while taking extensive breaks between albums. The band played Target Center in 1995, 2000 and 2008 and Xcel Energy Center in 2005 and 2013. The latter was in support of NIN’s eighth album “Hesitation Marks.” Nine Inch Nails returned to the road in 2017 and 2022, although neither tour had Twin Cities stops. 7:30 p.m.; Xcel Energy Center, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul; sold out; ticketmaster.com.
Linkin Park
Mike Shinoda and Emily Armstrong of Linkin Park perform at Barclays Center on September 16, 2024, in New York City. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
Aug. 27: Friends Mike Shinoda, Rob Bourdon and Brad Delson began performing together as California high school students in the late ’90s. They played for several years with varying lineups before taking on vocalist Chester Bennington and landing a deal with Warner Bros. Records under the Linkin Park moniker. The band’s 2000 debut “Hybrid Theory” topped 12 million in sales, making it one of the best-selling albums of the ’00s. It also gave the band their first of a long stream of rock radio hits with “One Step Closer,” “Crawling,” “Papercut” and Linkin Park’s breakthrough smash “In the End.” Linkin Park went on to release seven more best-selling albums and toured extensively. Bennington died by suicide in 2017, a week before the planned start of the North American leg. Last year, the group announced they had reunited with a new lead singer, Emily Armstrong. 7 p.m.; Target Center, 600 First Ave. N., Mpls.; $234.55-$75.70; ticketmaster.com.
Deftones
Chino Moreno leads Deftones, whose summer tour will bring them to Minneapolis’ Target Center on Aug. 29, 2025. (Courtesy of Clemente Ruiz)
Aug. 29: Some 30 years after they released their debut album “Adrenaline,” alt-metal band Deftones are headlining the largest local arena show of their career. Childhood friends Chino Moreno (vocals), Stephen Carpenter (guitar) and Abe Cunningham (drums) began jamming together in 1988 when they were in high school. After some lineup changes, the group adopted the name Deftones and signed with Madonna’s Maverick Recordings in 1993. They released “Adrenaline” two years later and toured heavily to support it. They scored their first hit in 2000 with “Change (In the House of Flies),” which landed at No. 9 on Billboard’s mainstream rock chart, the group’s first of a dozen times they visited that chart’s Top 20. The following year, Deftones won their first Grammy, a best metal performance nod for “Elite.” 7 p.m.; Target Center, 600 First Ave. N., Mpls.; $187-$86.95; ticketmaster.com.
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