A New Era of Music Along the Mississippi

The Community Performing Arts Center (CPAC) amphitheater is one step closer to reality now, following a groundbreaking ceremony held along the Mississippi River on the City’s Northside on Monday, May 4. Community, City and State leaders, flanked by Isaac Thompson of the Minnesota Orchestra and Dayna Frank of First Avenue, symbolically put shovels in the ground to launch the project that has been a decade in the making.

Slated to open in summer 2027, the 8,000-capacity concert venue will host around 50 ticketed events, plus community activities, outdoors each year from May to October. The CPAC amphitheater will be operated by the Port of Minneapolis—a joint venture between First Avenue and the Minnesota Orchestra.

The Orchestra joined the initiative in 2023 and has helped to raise needed private funds from a consortium of supporters to advance the public-private partnership at the heart of the project. When the venue is complete, the Orchestra will play both a performance role—occasionally playing at the venue each season—and an operational one, working alongside First Avenue on the amphitheater’s long-term oversight.

Speaking at the groundbreaking, Minnesota Orchestra President and CEO Isaac Thompson, said, “The CPAC amphitheater is a true example of a public and private partnership designed to make a positive difference in our community, and I’d like to thank the coalition of generous funders who rallied to support the project, motivated by a belief in the role music can play in strengthening our City. We look forward to launching a new era of music-making along the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.”

Construction for the amphitheater—which was designed by LSE Architects—will be managed by a partnership between Kraus-Anderson and Zuri 3. The project will create more than 500 construction jobs and once completed, amphitheater operations will employ more than 250 people. 

New Music Venue, Powered by Partnerships

When the amphitheater opens, it will expand the musical footprint of Minneapolis, featuring both world-class visiting musical acts and community artists and ensembles. A portion of the venue will be enclosed for smaller events on a year-round basis with a strong focus on including Northside residents, businesses and organizations. 

“Minneapolis has one of the most vibrant, diverse music scenes in the world, and this amphitheater is a powerful statement that we intend to keep it that way. Live music is about gathering with friends and loved ones to celebrate community; being recharged by the powerful energy music provides, and in this case, investing in the Northside for generations to come,” said First Avenue Productions President and CEO Dayna Frank. “We can’t wait to welcome everyone in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and across the country to this stage.”

For every ticket sold at the venue, a $3 fee will be reinvested directly into the local community through a partnership with the African American Community Development Corporation (AACDC). Said AACDC Chair Keith Baker, “We are ensuring that the economic, cultural and workforce benefits promised to this community are delivered and that revenue from the per-ticket fee is directed back into the community as outlined in the UHT Coordinated Plan.” 

The Upper Harbor Redevelopment

The Upper Harbor, a City-owned 48-acre riverfront site off Dowling Avenue No. and 1-94, is being redeveloped by the City of Minneapolis in partnership with the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board (MPRB) and local developers with additional investments from the State of Minnesota. 

The redevelopment reconnects North Minneapolis to the Mississippi River, and in addition to the amphitheater, will provide new affordable housing, living-wage jobs, new commercial spaces and a new riverfront regional park owned by MPRB, which will open to the public this summer.