If you’re picking one month to visit, August might be the biggest one Minneapolis has put together in years. A WWE stadium takeover, Ed Sheeran, two beloved art festivals, a downtown packed with concerts, and the Minnesota State Fair closing it all out — this is the thing to do in Minneapolis, times ten. Here’s your month, week by week, with dates you can actually plan around.
The first weekend goes big: SummerSlam comes to Minneapolis (August 1–2)
For the first time ever, WWE brings a stadium-sized event to Minneapolis: SummerSlam takes over U.S. Bank Stadium for two nights, Saturday, August 1 and Sunday, August 2. Expect downtown to be buzzing all weekend — grab a pre-show bite at one of the best sports bars in Minneapolis and soak it in.
Not a wrestling person? That same week, the Minnesota Lynx run a four-game homestand at Target Center (August 2, 6, 8, and 9), and Grammy winner Kehlani opens a world tour at the Armory on Thursday, August 6. The first week of August is simply stacked.
Festival week: Minnesota Fringe and the Uptown Art Fair (August 6–16)
The Minnesota Fringe Festival — the Midwest’s biggest theater festival — runs August 6–16 with hundreds of performances across Cedar-Riverside and the West Bank. Tickets are $25 (or $20 with a Fringe button), and a quarter of every house is held for walk-ups. Meanwhile, the Uptown Art Fair makes its comeback August 7–9 around Lake of the Isles and The Mall, with artists from more than 40 states. We covered all three of the summer’s art festivals in our Minneapolis art festivals guide if you want the full rundown.
Stadium-sized music: Ed Sheeran, J. Cole, and more
Saturday, August 15 brings Ed Sheeran’s LOOP Tour to U.S. Bank Stadium (5:30 PM, with Myles Smith, Lukas Graham, and Ellie Banke opening). Then Target Center takes the baton: J. Cole on August 18 and Tame Impala with Dominic Fike on August 28, while LCD Soundsystem plays the Armory on August 18. If you’re building a music trip, start with our list of the best live music venues in Minneapolis.
Take me out to Target Field
The Twins are home for a long mid-month stretch — Orioles August 10–12, Phillies August 15–16, and Braves August 17–19 — then back August 28–30 against the White Sox, with Friday night fireworks after the August 28 game. Check the Twins August schedule for times and tickets. An afternoon at Target Field followed by a rooftop dinner? That’s a very good Minneapolis day — here are the best rooftops in Minneapolis to finish it.
The Great Minnesota Get-Together opens August 27
The Minnesota State Fair opens Thursday, August 27 and runs through Labor Day, September 7 — twelve days of food-on-a-stick, nightly fireworks, and a Grandstand lineup that opens with Bonnie Raitt (August 27), “Weird Al” Yankovic (August 28), and hometown legends Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis celebrating the Minneapolis Sound (August 29). If you only make it to one Minnesota tradition, make it this one.
How to see it all (and where to stay)
Between the big-ticket events, let us show you the city the fun way: Minneapolis Trolley Tours runs scenic, ghost, and true-crime rides all August from the haunted Pillsbury Club mansion — stick around after your tour for a spooky-good cocktail in the speakeasy bar. For a stay to match the occasion, book a romantic room (and the garden hot tub) at 300 Clifton, the historic Carpenter Mansion B&B on Loring Park, or set up a home base near the stadiums at Oakland’s on 9th, a furnished extended-stay in the heart of downtown. Planning a special night out around a show? Steal an idea from our best Minneapolis date nights list.
Arriving before the calendar flips? The Aquatennial runs July 18–26 and it’s a beauty. Either way — August in Minneapolis is the thing to do. Book your trolley tour before the good dates go.
Keep reading: Mansion tours in Minneapolis — which historic houses can you actually go inside?