Minneapolis (May 5, 2026) – Minneapolis enters a season defined by two major cultural moments: a citywide celebration marking 10 years since the passing of Prince and the arrival of the Michelin Guide, bringing international attention to the city’s dining scene. Around these milestones, a full calendar of events, new openings and signature Minneapolis experiences unfold across the city.

Restaurant News:

• Michelin Guide is coming to Minneapolis with the destination’s inclusion in the new American Great Lakes edition, announced April 8. While the inspectors are checking out the cuisine, visitors can, too. The inaugural selections will be announced in spring 2027.
  
  
• James Beard 2022 Best New Restaurant, Owamni by the Sioux Chef has closed in preparation to move into the Guthrie Theater’s ground-floor restaurant space and will rename the groundbreaking Native American restaurant to Indígena by Owamni (pronounced: In-DEE-Hay-Na). Doubling the original space, it will showcase the diversity of Indigenous cuisines across North America and is expected to open by early summer.
  
  
• Mestiizo in Northeast Minneapolis blends Mexican and Asian cuisines with gluten-free dishes like birria eggrolls, a range of sushi and tacos made with tortillas from neighboring Oro by Nixta. Handcrafted cocktails include house-made tepache (fermented pineapple) vermouth, a rare combination.
  
  
• Midtown Global Market welcomed four new vendors in its 20th year including Pizza Luna (don’t sleep on the desserts), 7 Spices (serving Somali specialties like sambusas), Black-owned soul food spot Trio Plant-Based and Rollin’ Nolen’s BBQ.
  
  
• Jook Sing, a popular Chinese American pop-up, has partnered long-term with Northeast Minneapolis cocktail bar Steady Pour, offering a cross-cultural menu from char siu and dim sum to burgers and ribs.
  
  
• House of Sambus is a new restaurant that serves Somali cardamom-spiced tea, signature sambusas, bur and other pastry treats on the city’s Northside.
  
  
• Earl Giles, a Northeast Minneapolis distillery and restaurant, earned Double Gold and Best Gin at the 2026 WSWA Wine & Spirits Competition. Distilled from Minnesota corn spirit and two botanical distillates. It was the only gin to win Double Gold at the event.
  
  

Event News:

• April 2026 marked 10 years since the passing of Minneapolis’ own international superstar, Prince. His former home and studios, Paisley Park, will share the stories, memories and legacy at a 10-Year Anniversary Celebration of Life at Prince Celebration 2026, June 3-7, 2026, at Paisley Park in Chanhassen and downtown Minneapolis.
  
  For the first time ever, NPG and The Revolution will unite on one stage at the star-studded event, the annual Prince Night at the Minnesota Twins will be June 4 and a world-record attempt to get up to 15,000 people singing Prince tunes outside the Prince mural at the July 6th Block Party will give every fan a chance to participate.
  
  
• Through the power of sports and inclusion, the Special Olympics USA Games comes to Minneapolis June 20-26, and will spark a change that transforms lives. More than 3,000 athletes, 1,500 coaches, 10,000 volunteers and 75,000 fans from all 50 states are expected.
  
  
• WWE SummerSlam will come to U.S. Bank Stadium Aug. 1 and 2, for a two-night extravaganza, and the first time WWE hosts a stadium event in Minneapolis. There will be fan and community events leading up to and after the main event.
  
  
• MODE by Flickr, The World’s Photography Festival, is debuting in Minneapolis Sept. 18-20, dedicated to everything photographers love to shoot. Attendees will experience live music, performances and photo shoots, plus keynotes, masterclasses, tech demos and more.
  
  
• Red Bull Flugtag lands in Minneapolis Sept. 26, where teams will launch homemade aircraft in front of a crowd of thousands on the Mississippi River.
  
  

Arts & Culture News:

• Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) has acquired eight works spanning five centuries and four continents, including a rare Latin American silver gilt salt cellar recovered from a shipwreck, a one-of-a-kind 18th-century Guatemalan polychrome wood sculpture and a new painting by Titus Kaphar. Admission is free.
  
  Additionally, Mia announced a grant enabled the restoration of The Meeting of Dante and Virgil, considered the most important Italian Renaissance tapestry in the United States. It will be featured in “Back from the Underworld: Mia’s Dante Tapestry Restored,” on view July 11 through Jan. 31, 2027.
  
  
• The American Swedish Institute presents Eyes as Big as Plates, opening June 20 – Oct. 25, 2026. A new exhibition of a surreal photography series by artists Riitta Ikonen and Karoline Hjorth showcasing humans immersed in their surroundings through whimsical portraits.
  
  
• Minnesota Orchestra's Live at Orchestra Hall pops series will feature visits from Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Ben Folds, Andrew Bird, Guster, Leslie Odom Jr. and Thorgy Thor. Additionally, they’ll screen popular films while performing the score live including: “Return of the Jedi,” “Vertigo,” “How to Train Your Dragon” and more.
  
  Travelers spending time at MSP Airport can catch the Orchestra’s video playlist of mini documentaries in the See18 film screening room on the C concourse through March 2027.
  
  

Transportation News:

• Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) has opened “Red Bull Work Wiiing,” a 24/7 branded workspace in Terminal 1 offering meeting areas, solo productivity booths and ample power, near the airport’s award-winning shops and restaurants.
  
  
• New attraction MN Hot Tub Boats is now booking Mississippi River excursions above the falls from late May through November 2026, launching from Boom Island Park. The 90-minute rides feature floating hot tubs powered by a quiet electric motor and surrounded by a tanning deck.
  
  

Keep up with all the happenings, events and trip planning ideas in Minneapolis here, and read all our recent news here.

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