Major Music Acts Plan a Return to the Twin Cities in 2021

Before the pandemic shuttered the live music scene nationwide in mid-March, Twin Cities concertgoers were snagging some hot tickets. The Rolling Stones, My Chemical Romance, Guns N’ Roses, Maroon 5, and other top-selling acts were scheduled to visit some of Minnesota’s biggest venues this year.

Paul Patane

Fans were abuzz for the Rolling Stones’ No Filter tour, especially after it had previously been postponed in 2019 due to Mick Jagger’s heart condition; the band was finally slated again to visit the state to play US Bank Stadium on May 16, 2020. A grand reunion tour for My Chemical Romance had been announced at the end of January and included a booking for St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center for September 11. Days after those tour details were unveiled, Guns N’ Roses shared their plans for an extensive two months of touring across North America, including a July 24 stop at Target Field in Minneapolis.

Due to the pandemic, those tours—and virtually all other major shows scheduled for the spring through early fall—were postponed or altogether canceled in Minnesota and across the nation. A few outdoor shows have snuck onto the late-summer calendar for some local acts, but it’s slim pickings. For premium national acts with big dollars and infrastructure behind them, it’s been a waiting game as more modeling and information is gathered about COVID-19 while ticketing outfits like Ticketmaster process refunds at a snail’s pace in an effort to stave off bankruptcy.

Many local shows have already been rescheduled for next year, including the My Chemical Romance, Guns N’ Roses and Maroon 5 concerts. Unfortunately, those with tickets to the Rolling Stones set will have to continue waiting for an update. Keep reading to get the skinny on the My Chemical Romance, Guns N’ Roses, and Maroon 5 updated tour details.

My Chemical Romance

Whether you identify with the Black Parade or as a Killjoy, you’ll have to wait a bit longer to see My Chemical Romance live. The pop-punk group’s last album, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, was released a decade ago, and their final major tour came the following year. For live entertainment, the last chance most locals would have had to see anything resembling My Chemical Romance would have come by attending Gerard Way’s Brit pop set in First Avenue’s Mainroom, which was part of a solo mini tour in 2015.

Way and his gang were supposed to massage our ears with their emo vibes at Xcel this September in what was to be the second of 18 US shindigs, with the last stop booked for October 11 in Las Vegas. Now, the updated tour is set to kick off in Philadelphia next September, and the rescheduled Xcel concert will take place on September 16, 2021. If you were lucky enough to score tickets for the 2020 show, they’re being honored for the 2021 palooza.

Guns N’ Roses

Guns N’ Roses have never played Target Field in Minneapolis before. Hell, they’ve played just one set in the Twin Cities since resetting to a version of their classic lineup featuring Axl Rose (vocals), Slash (lead guitar), and Duff McKagan (bass). The group was triumphant in its lone visit to Minnesota in 2017, performing a set in US Bank Stadium that started on time and went an impressive three and a half hours. In addition to playing fan favorites, GNR unleashed a dynamic cover of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” that hit deep given Chris Cornell’s then-recent passing. Acoustics in the venue were less than impressive, however, making it so that those with seats in the lower bowl were privy to one of the best rock reunions on stage in the past decade while those in the upper level were subjected to an inferior experience.

For those stuck in those nosebleed seats three years ago, this summer’s Target Field experience represented redemption. The pandemic may have mucked everything up for now, but there’s a silver lining for locals, as the slimmed-down tour that’s been rescheduled for 2021 still includes a Target Field stop—on July 16, 2021. Making things even better is that Minneapolis will be just the third stop which, should help ensure Rose has a rested voice that’s ready to be unleashed. Tickets from the postponed show are being honored for the new 2021 date.

Maroon 5

Another big ticket for the Xcel Energy Center this year was Maroon 5, who were scheduled to hit St. Paul’s grandest stage on August 9. The Los Angeles–based pop-rock band always draws big attendance locally despite frequently playing the Xcel. Maybe it’s frontman Adam Levine’s tattoos or guitarist James Valentine’s skill at his instrument that keeps putting butts in seats each tour. It can’t hurt that the group continues to produce new albums at a regular clip, ensuring there are always new tunes for virgin ears to intake.

Maroon 5 moved their jam-packed 2020 road show out to next July, with their first performance taking flight in Chula Vista, California. They’ll play 41 concerts into October, returning to St. Paul on August 7, 2021. It remains unclear whether Meghan Trainor will still be the opener, but tickets purchased for the 2020 show are being honored.

Who do you want to see once live music comes back in force?