The big concert news this spring and summer? Women.
The lineup includes a host of old favorites like Brandi Carlile, Shania Twain, Janet Jackson and the Chicks. Women are also headlining the biggest outdoor venues in town: U.S. Bank Stadium (Taylor Swift), Huntington Bank Center (Beyonce), Target Field (Pink) and Treasure Island Amphitheater (Carrie Underwood).
Keep in mind that some large venues use dynamic pricing, which means ticket prices can vary. Also, the prices noted here do not include VIP packages or platinum tickets, which typically run into the hundreds of dollars.
Here’s a look at what’s on tap from the ladies in the coming months.
Shania Twain
May 17: Country superstar Shania Twain released her debut album in 1993, but her career didn’t truly take off until she met producer Robert “Mutt” Lange. Up to that point, Lange was known for helping craft huge-selling rock records, including AC/DC’s “Back in Black” and Def Leppard’s “Pyromania.” Together, the pair made three albums that sold more than 43 million copies in the U.S. and spawned a series of hits including “Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under,” “You’re Still the One,” “That Don’t Impress Me Much” and “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” After completing her 2004 tour, Twain retreated from the spotlight. In 2012, she launched a 105-show residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and hit the road three years later. Last year, Twain’s Netflix documentary “Not Just a Girl” debuted and was accompanied by a new compilation album. 7:30 p.m.; Xcel Energy Center, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul; sold out; ticketmaster.com.
Janet Jackson
May 30: Janet Jackson is the youngest member of her famous family and began her career in TV with roles on “Good Times,” “Diff’rent Strokes” and “Fame.” She recorded a pair of teen pop albums before hooking up with Minneapolis producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis for 1986’s “Control.” It gave Jackson her first string of hits, including “What Have You Done for Me Lately,” “Nasty,” “Control,” “When I Think of You” and “The Pleasure Principle.” For the next 15 years, Jackson remained a constant presence on the radio. Her career stalled after her infamous appearance on the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show when, during a dance sequence with Justin Timberlake, she experienced a “wardrobe malfunction” that briefly exposed her breast on live television. In 2015, she returned to the road for her first arena tour since 2008 and played Target Center that November. Four years later, Jackson headlined an outdoor concert at Treasure Island Casino. Ludacris opens. 8 p.m.; Xcel Energy Center, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul; $315.95-$25.95; ticketmaster.com.
Taylor Swift
June 23-24: Taylor Swift had a world tour planned for 2020 that was ultimately canceled because of the pandemic. But she went on to surprise fans with two new albums of quieter folk and country songs that year, “Folklore” and “Evermore.” In 2021, Swift began rerecording her early albums after an ownership dispute. That year, she released new versions of “Fearless” and “Red,” complete with a series of bonus tracks. And in October, Taylor delighted fans with her 10th studio album, “Midnights.” With all that new material, Swift decided to make her current tour a career retrospective. She’s not holding back, either, as the show features 44 songs and a running time of more than three hours. 6:30 p.m.; U.S. Bank Stadium, 401 Chicago Ave., Mpls.; sold out; ticketmaster.com.
Beyonce
July 20: The woman born Beyonce Giselle Knowles rose to fame in the late ’90s as a member of the group Destiny’s Child. The group went on to score a series of worldwide hits with “Say My Name,” “Bills, Bills, Bills,” “Independent Women Part 1,” “Survivor,” “Bootylicious,” “Lose My Breath” and “Soldier.” She began her solo career with 2003’s “Dangerously in Love” and returned to it full-time after Destiny’s Child split in 2006. Thanks to a series of multi-platinum singles – including “Crazy in Love,” “Irreplaceable,” “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” “Halo,” “Run the World (Girls)” and “Drunk in Love” – Beyonce rose to become one of the most successful musical acts of the century, with a famously vocal and protective following. She’s back on the road to support her seventh album, “Renaissance,” which won four Grammys. 7 p.m.; Huntington Bank Stadium, 2009 University Ave. S.E., Mpls.; $351-$91; ticketmaster.com.
Carrie Underwood
July 21: In the 18 years since Carrie Underwood won the fourth season of “American Idol,” she has found remarkable success, winning eight Grammy Awards and hitting No. 1 on the Billboard country singles charts a record 16 times. Her current tour began last year and is running concurrently with her well-received Las Vegas residency. They both support her ninth album, “Denim and Rhinestones,” which features the singles “Ghost Story” and “Hate My Heart.” Other recent hits from Underwood include “If I Didn’t Love You” (with Jason Aldean), “Southbound,” “Love Wins,” “Cry Pretty,” “Dirty Laundry,” “Church Bells” and “Heartbeat.” 7 p.m.; Treasure Island Casino Amphitheater, 5734 Sturgeon Lake Road, Welch; $129-$59; 877-849-1640 or ticketmaster.com.
Madonna
July 30: With her self-titled debut album turning 40 this year, Madonna is doing something she’s never done before – a greatest hits tour. Madonna first hit the charts with 1982’s “Everybody” and went on to spend the next few decades continuing to release hits and push boundaries. Her 1989 album “Like a Prayer” featured “Love Song,” a duet with Prince, who also played uncredited guitar on three other tracks. She scored her final major hit in 2008 with “4 Minutes,” which featured Justin Timberlake. While Madonna’s mainstream chart success has faded, she has remained a mainstay on the dance charts. Last year, she released the compilation “Finally Enough Love: 50 Number Ones,” which collected her many dancefloor hits. Bob the Drag Queen, winner of the eighth season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” opens. 8:30 p.m.; Xcel Energy Center, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul; $570-$110; ticketmaster.com.
Pink
Aug. 10: High-flying global pop star Pink has dominated the pop charts with a series of hits that include “There You Go, “Get the Party Started,” “Don’t Let Me Get Me,” “Just Like a Pill,” “Who Knew,” “So What,” “Raise Your Glass,” “Try,” “Just Like Fire,” “What About Us” and “One Too Many,” a duet with Keith Urban. On her most recent tour, Pink sold out Xcel Energy Center twice, in 2018 and 2019. The 43-year-old, who is known for her mid-air acrobatics in concert, also played the Armory in 2018 during Super Bowl Weekend. This outdoor gig will be Pink’s largest local show to date. Pat Benatar, Grouplove and KidCutUp open. 6:30 p.m.; Target Field, 1 Twins Way, Mpls.; $279.95-$199.95; ticketmaster.com.
The Chicks
Aug. 25: The trio formerly known as the Dixie Chicks return to the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand, which they sold out twice in 2016. Sisters Martie and Emily Erwin and Natalie Maines, daughter of steel guitarist Lloyd Maines, signed to Sony Music and sold more than 22 million copies of their first two major-label records, “Wide Open Spaces” and “Fly.” They also dominated country radio with 11 Top 10 singles, including “I Can Love You Better,” “Cowboy Take Me Away” and “Goodbye Earl.” Shortly before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Maines told a London audience the trio was ashamed that George W. Bush is from Texas. The comment earn a swift, negative response from conservatives and, while Maines publicly apologized, the band lost many fans. They staged a major comeback in 2006 with their album “Taking the Long Way” and its Grammy-winning lead single “Not Ready to Make Nice,” co-written by Minnesota’s Dan Wilson. In 2020, they announced they were dropping the word “Dixie” from their moniker, saying they had picked “that stupid name” as teenagers, and had wanted to change it for years. 7 p.m.; Minnesota State Fair Grandstand, 1265 Snelling Ave. N., Falcon Heights; sold out; 800-514-3849 or mnstatefair.org.
Brandi Carlile
Aug. 29: Grammy-winning singer/songwriter and Twin Cities favorite Brandi Carlile has played more than two dozen local shows over the past 18 years and this summer she’ll be back to headline the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand. Last July, Carlile sold out St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center. In a rave review for the Pioneer Press, Rob Hubbard wrote: “While Saturday’s setting may have inspired the rockiest show she’ll perform this year, a final string-laden encore of ‘Stay Gentle’ and ‘Over the Rainbow’ reminded those in attendance that she’s still a folkie at heart, a relentlessly positive presence who lifted spirits with an impassioned performance.” 7 p.m.; Minnesota State Fair Grandstand, 1265 Snelling Ave. N., Falcon Heights; $199-$79; 800-514-3849 or mnstatefair.org.
Other big shows of note
- Red Hot Chili Peppers with the Strokes; 6:30 p.m. April 8; U.S. Bank Stadium; $295-$24.50.
- Future; 7 p.m. April 8; Target Center; $260-$55.
- Shinedown; 7 p.m. April 30; Target Center; $55.95-$35.95.
- Blink-182; 7:30 p.m. May 4; Xcel Energy Center; sold out.
- Disturbed; 6:30 p.m. May 6; Xcel Energy Center; $60-$35.
- Luke Combs; 5:45 p.m. May 13; U.S. Bank Stadium; sold out.
- Brooks and Dunn; 7 p.m. June 3; Xcel Energy Center; $155.75-$35.75.
- The Cure; 7:30 p.m. June 8; Xcel Energy Center; sold out.
- Matchbox Twenty; 7 p.m. June 10; Treasure Island Amphitheater; $26.50.
- Alabama; 7 p.m. June 22; Xcel Energy Center; $129.50-$39.50.
- Brian Adams with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts; 7:30 p.m. July 3; Xcel Energy Center; $145.50-$55.50.
- Thomas Rhett; 7:30 p.m. July 27; Xcel Energy Center; $85.50-$35.50.
- Paramore; 7 p.m. Aug. 2; Xcel Energy Center; $46.50.
- Lionel Richie and Earth, Wind and Fire; 7:30 p.m. Aug. 4; Xcel Energy Center; $241.95-$56.95.
- Nickelback with Brantley Gilbert; 6:30 p.m. Aug. 7; Xcel Energy Center; $76-$56.
- Zach Bryan; 8 p.m. Aug. 9; Target Center; sold out.
- Ed Sheeran; 6 p.m. Aug. 12; U.S. Bank Stadium; $139-$49.
- Sam Smith; 8 p.m. Aug. 16; Xcel Energy Center; $145.50-$25.50.
- Jason Aldean; 7 p.m. Aug. 19; Treasure Island Amphitheater; $45.
- Happy Together Tour; 7 p.m. Aug. 28; Minnesota State Fair Grandstand; $33.
- Yung Gravy; 7 p.m. Aug. 30; Minnesota State Fair Grandstand; $64-$29.
- Duran Duran; 7 p.m. Aug. 31; Minnesota State Fair Grandstand; $197-$77.
