minnesota yacht club concert

• Plan a Trip
• Festivals & Fairs
• Submit Your Event
• Arts & Entertainment
• Museums & History
• Neighborhoods
• Parks & Zoos
• Professional Sports
• Virtual Tours & Digital Experiences
• Breweries & Brewpubs
• Food Trucks
• Where To Stay
• Saint Paul Deals
• Visitors Guide
• Newsletter Sign-Up
• Getting Here
• Visitor Information Center
• Visit Saint Paul Foundation
• Privacy Policy
• Groups & Weddings

MINNESOTA YACHT CLUB FESTIVAL

July 19, 2024 to July 20, 2024

Come out and experience the inaugural Minnesota Yacht Club Festival at Harriet Island Regional Park in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota! The Minnesota Yacht Club Festival aims to offer a well-rounded experience, combining live music with exclusive amenities in a beautiful and historic setting. It's an opportunity for attendees to create lasting memories over two days of music and festivities.

Cookies Policy

This site uses cookies to provide you with an optimized experience. Learn More

Quick Search

Location map.

Minnesota Yacht Club Festival lineup, ticket prices announced

Yacht Club Festival Friday lineup

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - We finally know who is playing at the inaugural Minnesota Yacht Club Festival on July 19 and 20 at Harriet Island in St. Paul. Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gwen Stefani, and Alanis Morissette will headline the two-day music festival. Take a look below for the full lineup of bands and ticket options.

Yacht Club Festival – Friday night lineup

Gwen Stefani, Alanis Morisette, The Black Crowes, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, The Head & The Heart, Durry, Morgan Wade, Michigander, Gully Boys, Harbor & Home.

Yacht Club Festival – Saturday night lineup

Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Offspring, Hippo Campus, Gary Clark Jr., The Hold Steady, Soul Asylum, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Wilderado, Nico Vega, Irontom.

Ticket options and prices

The ticket presale begins Friday, Feb. 2 at 10 a.m. CT. A general on-sale will follow at 11 a.m. CT for any remaining tickets. One-day or two-day general admission tickets are available, as well as general admission "plus", VIP, Riverboat VIP, and Platinum tiers. Presale passcodes are available at MinnesotaYachtClubFestival.com . 

General admission is $135 for one day or $215 for both days.

GA+ ($285 / $330) provides access to the GA+ Lounge with "relaxed seating, air-conditioned restrooms, private bar and dedicated food for purchase." 

VIP   ($495 / $675) offers all GA+ amenities "plus access to an exclusive viewing platform at the main stage, dedicated entry lane into the festival, unlimited access to the VIP Lounge and more." 

Platinum ($925 / $1,395)  tickets offer all VIP amenities "plus front-of-stage viewing at the main stage, exclusive viewing at the second stage soundboard with select complimentary beverages, unlimited access to the air-conditioned Platinum Lounge at Wigington Pavilion with indoor and outdoor seating, complimentary full-service bar and all-day dining, and a dedicated Platinum Concierge to assist with any festival needs."

Riverboat VIP (21+, $595 / $825) "offering guaranteed exclusive access to Padelford Riverboats with relaxed seating, shade, private restrooms and a 60-minute cruise along the river with complimentary margarita happy hour and DJ set on the Padelford Riverboats, among other VIP amenities."

Minnesota Yacht Club Festival

Gwen Stefani

Alanis Morissette

Red Hot Chili Peppers

THE BLACK CROWES

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

The Offspring

Hippo Campus

Gary Clark Jr

The Head And The Heart

Alternative.

Watch CBS News

St. Paul summer music festival will draw Gwen Stefani, Alanis Morissette, Red Hot Chili Peppers and more

By Caroline Cummings, Anthony Bettin

January 30, 2024 / 1:09 PM CST / CBS Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn.  — A new music festival in St. Paul this summer will draw heavy hitters from the '90s-era and end a drought of similar outdoor concert events in the capital city.

The Minnesota Yacht Club on July 19 and 20 at Harriet Island Park will include headliners Gwen Stefani, Alanis Morissette and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who played the same space when Lollapalooza came through in 1992.

Tickets go on pre-sale Friday, Feb. 2. They range in price from $135 for a single ticket for one day and about $1400 for a VIP package  to attend both days of shows.  General admission for two days start at $215 before prices increase.

Organizers said the setting is the perfect site for a summer event in Minnesota, sitting along the Mississippi right next to downtown. The last time there was a music festival like it was River's Edge 12 years ago, which included Dave Matthews Band, The Flaming Lips and DJ Diplo.

"[The Twin Cities] is a major market in the U.S. it obviously has multiple professional sports team and has a handful of festivals but nothing that was like really next level so that was an opportunity for us,"  said Tim Sweetwood with C3 Presents, the production company putting on the show, told WCCO.

Hold Steady and Hippo Campus — two bands from the Twin Cities — are also scheduled to perform along with fellow Minnesota-native groups the Gully Boys and Soul Asylum.

Joe Spencer, president of the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance, said entertainment is the heartbeat of downtown as it rebounds from the pandemic. He's excited about the festival drawing thousands of people to the city who will support local businesses while they're here. 

MORE NEWS:  St. Paul snow sculptors look to adapt, overcome lack of snow and cold

Different downtown events are bringing people back to pre-covid levels, he said.

"When we look at the data about who's coming back to downtown and in what volumes, it's our visitors coming for hockey games, concerts, plays, operas. That is what's really driving a ton of our traffic," Spencer explained.

"This is a fantastic win for downtown," he added.

C3 Presents also produces Austin City Limits Festival and Lollapalooza.

Here's the full lineup:

• Gwen Stefani
• Alanis Morissette
• The Black Crowes
• Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
• The Head and the Heart
• Morgan Wade
• Michigander
• Harbor and Home
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• The Offspring
• Hippo Campus
• Gary Clark Jr.
• The Hold Steady
• Soul Asylum
• Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue

Caroline Cummings is an Emmy-winning reporter with a passion for covering politics, public policy and government. She is thrilled to join the WCCO team.

Featured Local Savings

More from cbs news.

Bill would increase Minnesota minimum wage to $15 this summer and $20 by 2028

Twin Cities Marathon Weekend to include half-marathon in 2024

Preparations underway for incoming early spring snow storm

St. Paul officer won't face charges in shooting death of Yia Xiong, 65

Minnesota Yacht Club Music Festival scheduled for next summer in St. Paul

Concert promoters behind several of the country’s top music festivals are making plans for a new event in the Twin Cities next summer.

The inaugural Minnesota Yacht Club Festival is scheduled to take place July 19-20 at Harriet Island Regional Park along the Mississippi River in St. Paul.

Organizers said the festival will feature “two days of world-class performances across two stages, curated local food vendors, historic riverboat rides and more underneath the giant cottonwoods of the park.”

Additional details — including the lineup and ticket information — are slated to be released next month.

The festival is being produced by C3 presents, which also produces Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and the Austin City Limits Music Festival, among many others.

“We are thrilled to host this exciting music festival presented by C3, a top-tier festival promoter, at Harriet Island Regional Park,” St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said in a news release announcing the event.

The arrival of the new festival comes in the wake of several other music events coming to an end in the Twin Cities in recent years, including Rock the Garden and Twin Cities Summer Jam. The Basilica Block Party has been canceled the past two years.

Political Coverage Powered by You

Your gift today creates a more connected Minnesota. MPR News is your trusted resource for election coverage, reporting and breaking news. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

• What the deepest ocean reveals and how to save it
• Bad Bunny cancels Minneapolis concert at Target Center
• Trash bags, CDs and condoms: How one Minneapolis upcycler is changing sustainable fashion

• Alanis Morissette
• Gwen Stefani
• Red Hot Chili Peppers
• The Black Crowes

Minnesota Yacht Club Festival 2024: How To Get Tickets & More

by Em Casalena February 12, 2024, 4:22 pm

Who said the Land of 10,000 Lakes doesn’t have killer music festivals? This year, Minnesota’s own Minnesota Yacht Club Festival will be kicking off on Harriet Island for a two-day special event with a ton of top-notch headliners.

Videos by American Songwriter

Gwen Stefani, Alanis Morissette, and Red Hot Chili Peppers will be headlining the fest this year, with additional performances from The Black Crowes, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, The Head And The Heart, The Offspring, Hippo Campus, Morgan Wade, and more.

Festival Details

The fest will start on Friday, July 19 in St. Paul, Minnesota at Harriet Island Regional Park and come to a close on Saturday, July 20. Different artists will be performing on each day of the festival. Each day, the fest will start at 12:00 pm and close at 10:30 pm.

The festival’s showrunners have been promoting the fest on social media, with one post bringing attention to the multiple ticket options available this year. 

“Whether you’re seeking luxury or the ultimate party experience, we’ve got a ticket that suits your style! Scroll through and explore all the Premium options we have to offer with GA+, VIP, Riverboat VIP, and Platinum tickets 😎” said the Instagram post , accompanied by a series of graphics for each ticket option.

How to Get Tickets

General sale tickets have just gone live via the festival’s website after a very brief presale event. You can also get your hands on tickets through Ticketmaster and StubHub as well. If you can’t get tickets in time before they sell out, we always recommend StubHub as the best backup ticketing platform to get sold-out passes. Just keep in mind that your tickets may be higher or lower in price compared to face value.

There isn’t much to say about this upcoming fest, considering this is the inaugural event. But judging by the lineup, it seems to be a 1990s rock-focus event with a touch of nostalgia and some up-and-coming artists in the mix as well.

Minnesota Yacht Club is a unique music festival for a few reasons. Namely, can you think of any other music fest that offers paddleboat rides with private bar access? It’s a fancy fest with fancy upgrades, but those opting for general admission aren’t going to miss out, either. 

This festival is a hotspot for food and drink vendors across the state, so you can sample the best of the best from Minnesota. Harriet Island Regional Park is also quite stunning, so when you’re between bands, treat yourself to a walk through the cottonwood trees. The vibes are definitely solid.

The Minnesota Yacht Club is likely going to sell out fast , so now is the perfect time to get your hands on decently-priced tickets.

Minnesota Yacht Club 2024 Lineup

Minnesota Yacht Club Festival 2024 FAQS

When do tickets for the minnesota yacht club festival 2024 go on sale.

Tickets are currently on sale for the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival. A brief presale event went live on February 2.

Where can I purchase official tickets to the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival 2024?

The festival website, Ticketmaster, and Stubhub are great places to find tickets to this festival.

How much do Minnesota Yacht Club Festival 2024 tickets cost? Are there different pricing tiers?

The price for these tickets will vary a lot, depending on when you get them, where you get them, and whether or not you opt for upgrades. After a quick look on StubHub, it appears that single-day general admission tickets start at about $260. This is going to change the longer general sale tickets are available, though.

What’s the difference between VIP tickets and regular tickets?

The upgrade perks seem to be the star of the show this year, so it’s definitely worth looking into the differences between different ticket upgrades for Minnesota Yacht Club.

General admission tickets will provide access to the festival grounds and all of the main stages, plus the food vendors on the grounds.

GA+ tickets will offer access to the GA+ lounge, air-conditioned bathrooms, a private bar, dedicated food vendors, and access to a GA+ concierge.

VIP tickets will offer front-of-stage- viewing, access to the viewing platform behind Platinum ticketholders, access to the VIP lounge, air-conditioned bathrooms, a private bar, a VIP concierge, and a special express entrance lane into the festival.

Riverboat VIP tickets offer all the perks of GA, GA+, and VIP, plus access to the Padelford Riverboat, access to the boat’s private drink and snack bar, and a margarita happy hour.

Platinum tickets get some major perks. With this upgrade, you get everything that GA, GA+, and VIP ticketholder get. Plus, you can enjoy up-close viewing, access to the Platinum lounge at the Wigington Pavilion, ice-cold bathrooms, a complimentary bar, complimentary dining, a Platinum concierge, complimentary lockers and phone chargers, an express entrance lane, and an exclusive festival gift.

Is there an age restriction for the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival 2024?

Luckily for parents, the Minnesota Yacht Club is an all-ages event. If you have a kiddo under seven, they can get in free with a ticket-holding adult.

Minnesota Yacht Club Festival 2024 Dates

Friday, July 19 – Gwen Stefani, Alanis Morissette, The Black Crowes, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, The Head And The Heart, and More

Saturday, July 20 – Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Offspring, Hippo Campus, Gary Clark Jr., The Hold Steady, and More.

Image Courtesy of Minnesota Yacht Club

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Only members can comment. Become a member . Already a member? Log In .

Usher Boldly Placed on “Musical Mount Rushmore” After Super Bowl Performance, Likened to James Brown, Michael Jackson, & Marvin Gaye

© 2024 American Songwriter

Join our newsletter!

Minnesota Yacht Club Festival Reveals Inaugural Lineup: RHCP, Gwen Stefani, Alanis Morissette, More

Minnesota Yacht Club , a new music festival produced by  C3 Presents , has announced the high-profile artist lineup for its inaugural event, set to take place at St. Paul, MN’s Harriet Island Regional Park on Friday, July 19th and Saturday, July 20th, 2024. Artists will perform across two stages with no overlapping sets.

The festival is due to begin on Friday, July 19th with headlining performances by Gwen Stefan i and  Alanis Morissette in addition to sets by  The Black Crowes , Joan Jett & The Blackhearts , The Head and the Heart , Durry , Margan Wade , Michigander , Gully Boys , and Harbor & Home underneath the park’s giant cottonwood trees.

On Saturday, July 20th,  Red Hot Chili Peppers will top a bill featuring live music by  The Offspring , Hippo Campus , Gary Clark Jr. , The Hold Steady , Soul Asylum , Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue , Wilderado , Nico Vega , and Irontom .

In addition to the music and a selection of local food vendors, Minnesota Yacht Club attendees can elevate their experiences with historic riverboat rides on the adjacent Mississippi River , allowing them to take in the majestic natural surroundings. Riverboat VIP tickets (21+) offer access to Padelford Riverboats with relaxed seating, shade, private restrooms, and a 60-minute cruise along the river with complimentary margarita happy hour, and a DJ set, among other VIP amenities.

Additional premium ticket experiences include GA+ (offering access to the GA+ Lounge featuring relaxed seating, air-conditioned restrooms, private bar and dedicated food for purchase); VIP (offers all GA+ amenities plus access to an exclusive viewing platform at the main stage, dedicated entry lane into the festival, unlimited access to the VIP Lounge and more); and Platinum tickets (offer all VIP amenities plus front-of-stage viewing at the main stage, exclusive viewing at the second stage soundboard with select complimentary beverages, unlimited access to the air-conditioned Platinum Lounge at Wigington Pavilion with indoor and outdoor seating, complimentary full-service bar and all-day dining, and a dedicated Platinum Concierge to assist with any festival needs). For more details on the various ticket types, head here .

“We are thrilled to host this exciting music festival presented by C3, a top-tier festival promoter, at Harriet Island Regional Park,” said St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter when the festival was first announced late last year. “With the breathtaking Mississippi River as its backdrop, this two-day event promises stellar performances, delicious local cuisine, and an opportunity for both residents and visitors to relish our nationally-acclaimed park facilities.”

A ticket pre-sale window will begin on Friday, February 2nd at 10:00 a.m. CT / 11:00 a.m. ET. Sign up now for a pre-sale passcode here . A general on-sale will follow an hour later on Friday, February 2nd at 11:00 a.m. CT / 12:00 p.m. ET if tickets remain.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Minnesota Yacht Club Festival (@mnyachtclub)

Minnesota Yacht Club Music Festival Set for St. Paul

A new two-day festival is coming to St. Paul from the people behind Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits.

by Julianna Landis

December 21, 2023

Shutterstock

This page is available to subscribers. Sign up to Daily Edit to get unlimited access .

The Minnesota Yacht Club Festival, a new festival announced by event organizers C3, will take place at Harriet Island Park in St. Paul next summer. The festival will take place on July 19 and 20, 2024, but further information, including an artist lineup or ticket prices, has yet to be announced. 

The two-day festival will fill a gap left by local festivals such as the Basilica Block Party, canceled two years in a row, or Rock the Garden, permanently shuttered by its hosts. 

While the artist lineup is still unknown, C3 states on the festival’s website that concertgoers won’t be forced to move from stage to stage mid-set to catch all their favorites, promising “no schedule conflicts” across the 20 slated artists. The promoter is also behind other major festivals like Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and Austin City Limits.

The concerts will take place outdoors at Harriet Island Park across the two days, and will include local food vendors, historic riverboat rides, and more, per a news release from the city of St. Paul. “With the breathtaking Mississippi River as its backdrop, this two-day event promises stellar performances, delicious local cuisine, and an opportunity for both residents and visitors to relish our nationally-acclaimed park facilities,” St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said in the statement.

The festival has a text alert service set up on its website  for people interested in concert updates.

Mpls.St.Paul Daily Edit

Sign up for our daily newsletter.

All rights reserved

• Eat & Drink
• Arts & Culture
• Shop & Style
• Home & Design
• Health & Fitness
• Travel & Visitors

Company Info

• Internships
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service

Subscriptions

• Subscribe & Save Now
• Give a Gift
• Update Your Address
• Customer Service FAQ
• Find Us on Newsstands

Key Enterprises LLC is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for mspmag.com for people with disabilities. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone, and applying the relevant accessibility standards.

Minnesota Yacht Club Festival announces lineup featuring Gwen Stefani and Red Hot Chili Peppers

Log in to share your opinion with The Current and add it to your profile.

Thanks for liking this song! We have added it to a personal playlist for you.

by Max Sparber

January 30, 2024

Last month, promoters announced a new music festival, the  Minnesota Yacht Club Festival.  Tuesday they announced the lineup for the two-day event, scheduled for July 19-20 at Harriet Island Regional Park along the Mississippi River in St. Paul.

The festival will include an impressive collection of ‘90s radio stars, including Gwen Stefani, Alanis Morissette and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Also in the lineup: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, The Black Crowes, and Minnesota's own The Hold Steady and Soul Asylum.

The festival is being produced by C3 Presents, an Austin, Texas-based company that also produces Austin City Limits Music Festival and Lollapalooza.

A complete list of acts and dates are as follows:

Friday, July 19

Gwen Stefani

Alanis Morissette

The Black Crowes

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

The Head and The Heart

Morgan Wade

Michigander

Harbor & Home

Saturday, July 20

Red Hot Chili Peppers

The Offspring

Hippo Campus

Gary Clark Jr.

The Hold Steady

Soul Asylum

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

This story originally published on the MPR News website .

Minnesota Yacht Club Announces Inaugural 2024 Festival Lineup Featuring Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gwen Stefani, The Black Crowes & More

Cait Stoddard

[READ FULL BIO]

to submit an obituary

To place an obituary, please include the information from the obituary checklist below in an email to [email protected] . There is no option to place them through our website. Feel free to contact our obituary desk at 651-228-5263 with any questions.

General Information:

• Your full name,
• Address (City, State, Zip Code),
• Phone number,
• And an alternate phone number (if any)

Obituary Specification:

• Name of Deceased,
• Obituary Text,
• A photo in a JPEG or PDF file is preferable, TIF and other files are accepted, we will contact you if there are any issues with the photo.
• Ad Run dates
• There is a discount for running more than one day, but this must be scheduled on the first run date to apply.
• If a photo is used, it must be used for both days for the discount to apply, contact us for more information.

Verification of Death:

In order to publish obituaries a name and phone number of funeral home/cremation society is required. We must contact the funeral home/cremation society handling the arrangements during their business hours to verify the death. If the body of the deceased has been donated to the University of Minnesota Anatomy Bequest Program, or a similar program, their phone number is required for verification.

Please allow enough time to contact them especially during their limited weekend hours.

A death certificate is also acceptable for this purpose but only one of these two options are necessary.

Guestbook and Outside Websites:

We are not allowed to reference other media sources with a guestbook or an obituary placed elsewhere when placing an obituary in print and online. We may place a website for a funeral home or a family email for contact instead; contact us with any questions regarding this matter.

Obituary Process:

Once your submission is completed, we will fax or email a proof for review prior to publication in the newspaper. This proof includes price and days the notice is scheduled to appear.

Please review the proof carefully. We must be notified of errors or changes before the notice appears in the Pioneer Press based on each day’s deadlines.

After publication, we will not be responsible for errors that may occur after final proofing.

Payment Procedure:

Pre-payment is required for all obituary notices prior to publication by the deadline specified below in our deadline schedule. Please call 651-228-5263 with your payment information after you have received the proof and approved its contents.

Credit Card: Payment accepted by phone only due to PCI (Payment Card Industry) regulations

EFT: Check by phone. Please provide your routing number and account number.

• The minimum charge is $162 for the first 10 lines.
• Every line after the first 10 is $12.20.
• If the ad is under 10 lines it will be charged the minimum rate of $162.
• On a second run date, the lines are $8.20 per line, starting w/ the first line.
• For example: if first run date was 20 lines the cost would be $164.
• Each photo published is $125 per day.
• For example: 2 photos in the paper on 2 days would be 4 photo charges at $500.

Please follow deadline times to ensure your obituary is published on the day requested.

MEMORIAM (NON-OBITUARY) REQUEST

Unlike an obituary, Memoriam submissions are remembrances of a loved one who has passed. The rates for a memoriam differ from obituaries.

HOURS: Monday – Friday 8:00AM – 5:00PM (CLOSED WEEKENDS and HOLIDAYS)

Please submit your memoriam ad to [email protected] or call 651-228-5280.

Things to Do | Minnesota Yacht Club Festival coming to Harriet…

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
• Submit to Stumbleupon (Opens in new window)

Today's Paper

• Movies & TV
• Food & Drink
• Treasure Hunt

Things to Do

Subscriber only, things to do | minnesota yacht club festival coming to harriet island regional park in st. paul.

It’s been years since a major music festival alighted on Harriet Island Regional Park, despite its seemingly choice location along the Mississippi River below the downtown St. Paul river bluffs.

Counting Crows headlined a Taste of Minnesota concert lineup in 2010 that ended in bankruptcy for the long-standing food festival. In 2012, the odd matchup of dark alt-metal rockers Tool and the dreamy roots-rock of the Dave Matthews Band put the nail in the coffin of Live Nation’s short-lived River’s Edge Music Festival .

C3 Presents now plans to sail into the same scenic venue that other concert promoters have feared to tread for more than a decade. The team behind the popular Austin City Limits Music Festival, Lollapalooza and Atlanta’s annual alt-rock Shaky Knees music celebration have announced they’ll take over Harriet Island Regional Park on July 19 and 20 for the inaugural Minnesota Yacht Club Festival.

Music lineup to come

The music lineup won’t be announced until sometime next month, according to C3, which is headquartered in Austin, Texas. Still, other promoters within the event industry with an inkling of the goings-on say to expect big things of the company, in which Live Nation bought a majority stake in 2014.

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter this week said “stellar performances” and local cuisine are on tap.

“These are the people who do Austin City Limits,” said Rand Levy, a veteran promoter currently producing the Glow Holiday Festival at downtown St. Paul’s CHS Field. “They’re not amateurs.”

Levy, who is not directly attached to the Yacht Club Festival, would not divulge what he’s learned of the lineup, except to say “it appears to me they’re putting together a big show. … I think it’s a great, flexible grounds. It’s very pliable and flexible. I’ve done shows there and it’s terrific.”

An attractive venue built like a park

Why have promoters avoided Harriet Island for so long?

The answers have as much to do with the venue as trends within the music fest industry. Among the challenges, the Harriet Island bandshell is too low to the ground to serve as a primary stage, forcing the construction of temporary stages. Large concerts require power, fencing and other infrastructure that isn’t in abundant supply on site.

Apartments and condos constructed along the river trigger noise variance and permitting requirements that can force a stage to be relocated or reoriented. Then there’s the vagaries of drawing 30,000 fans or more to a riverfront that can flood and grassy fields that can turn to mush after heavy rains.

In short, “it’s not built out like the Summerfest grounds in Milwaukee or the State Fairgrounds, where it was purpose-built for the festival experience,” said Joe Spencer, president of the St. Paul Downtown Alliance. “Harriet Island was built as a park.”

“And at the same time, being down right by the water, it’s such a beautiful site, I’m not surprised they’re going to find a way to make it work,” added Spencer, who previously served as a cultural adviser to former St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. “Having 30,000 music fans parking in downtown and having an experience down by the river is going to be a fantastic addition.”

Levy noted that music festivals have run aground elsewhere, largely because of event costs.

“You’ve got to have deep pockets,” he said. “You’ve got to have the right talent. The talent is not cheap.”

Pent-up demand

Still, with some other festivals like the Basilica Block Party in Minneapolis repeatedly sidelined in recent years, there’s a pent-up demand to come together for communal cheer following the pandemic, and there’s plenty of energy left in downtown St. Paul event venues.

The European Christmas Market at the downtown St. Paul Union Depot was mobbed with visitors this season. This is Levy’s fourth year producing a holiday lights festival just down the street at CHS Field, the home of the St. Paul Saints, and the 31 scheduled shows have been drawing crowds. “We’re jamming them in,” he said. “This is our best year ever.”

Opening the city’s riverfront parklands to tens of thousands of visitors will take careful coordination with City Hall, but officials say they’re fully on board.

“We are excited to bring a festival back to Harriet Island,” said Clare Cloyd, a spokesperson for St. Paul Parks and Recreation, which is working alongside the mayor’s office to make the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival a success. “It’s something we have been working on for quite a while.”

C3 Presents is encouraging music festival fans to sign up for text alerts, emails and social media notifications at MinnesotaYachtClubFestival.com , or to follow along on Facebook , Instagram , X (previously Twitter) and TikTok.

More in Things to Do

Movies & TV | M. Emmet Walsh, unforgettable character actor from ‘Blood Simple,’ ‘Blade Runner,’ dies at 88

Music and Concerts | Jeff Lynne’s ELO will return to Xcel Energy Center in September on the group’s final tour

Music and Concerts | Country star Blake Shelton added to the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand lineup

Local News | To mark its 30th anniversary, Clouds in Water Zen Center is hosting a 30-hour meditation ‘sit-a-thon’

Movies & TV | Movie review: A new canine cycles into our hearts in ‘Arthur the King’

Music and Concerts | Concert review: 21-year-old pop star Olivia Rodrigo charms sold-out crowd at the X

Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gwen Stefani, Alanis Morissette to perform at Minnesota Yacht Club Festival this summer

The Minnesota Yacht Club announced the lineup for its inaugural festival on Tuesday, and the performers include some big names.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gwen Stefani and Alanis Morissette will headline the July 19 and 20 event, with additional performances from The Offspring, The Black Crowes, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, Morgan Wade, The Hold Steady and more.

The Minnesota Yacht Club Festival is being held at Harriet Island Regional Park in St. Paul, according to event organizers. The festival will also include local food vendors, riverboat rides and more.

Presale tickets are available starting on Feb. 2 at 10 a.m. through the Minnesota Yacht Club’s website . At 11 a.m., tickets for the general public will go on sale.