Celebration returns to Paisley Park this week

Chaka Khan, Chuck D, Stokely Williams, and Sounds of Blackness among those participating in this year’s event 

Later this week, a legion of Prince fans from around the nation and across the oceans will descend on the Twin Cities for Celebration 2023. This is a sacred journey for most, if not all who make the trip, regardless of how many times they’ve been. Moreover, for the first time ever, as these purple pilgrims make their way west out to Paisley Park, they’ll do so while traversing the newly christened Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway.

Celebration dates back to June 2000, the same year that Minneapolis’ favorite son reclaimed his birthname after only answering to his iconic symbol the previous seven years. The number seven is, in fact, the theme for this year’s festivities… but more on that later.

Prince’s first three Celebrations (2000–2002), were week-long events that consisted of live music, listening sessions, late-night parties, and guided tours of his 65,000-square-foot recording complex in Chanhassen. And in 2002, while filming was taking place for a planned documentary that never materialized, Prince even held court in the Paisley Park atrium, sitting among his devotees and pondering music, philosophy, religion, and the like.

In the summer of 2004, Prince hosted a sort of mini-celebration to coincide with his historic three-night stand at the Xcel Energy Center during the Musicology Tour. And, notwithstanding a multitude of events over the ensuing years – including the Paisley Park After Dark series, live performances by The Time and other bands, and the unforgettable premiere of Prince’s Piano & a Microphone show – those three late nights in June 2004 basically marked the end of Celebration, at least during Prince’s lifetime. 

The Revival

On the weekend that marked the first anniversary of Prince’s passing, Paisley Park honored both him and his fans by holding Celebration 2017. This four-day event that welcomed thousands from around the globe continued in April 2018 and 2019.

Along with panel discussions that featured former recording engineers, managers, stylists and designers, photographers, and other Prince collaborators, guests those three years were treated to live performances by the likes of The Revolution, Morris Day and The Time, Jesse Johnson, Sheila E, fDeluxe (formerly known as The Family, George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars, and the New Power Generation with special guest André Cymone.

The pandemic rendered the event impossible in both 2020 and 2021, but Celebration returned in 2022 when it was nicely bookended by two other events – the unveiling of the new 100-foot tall Prince mural that overlooks downtown Minneapolis and the nightclub he made world-famous, and the ceremonial renaming of the 700 block of First Avenue North as Prince Rogers Nelson Way.

Highlights from 2022 consisted of a brand new Randee St. Nicholas photo exhibition; a display of more than 300 pairs of Prince’s custom-made shoes; a performance by Mazarati (billed as Brownmark and the Bad Boys of Paisley); and the screening of Prince and the NPG’s impromptu 1992 Glam Slam gig, backed live on stage by most of the same musicians that performed with him that night.   

Celebration 2023 – “7”

A little more than seven years after Prince left this world, Paisley Park has chosen the number “7” as the central motif for Celebration 2023, noting that:

The number 7 was incredibly important to Prince, who was born on June 7, 1958, and would reference the number in significant ways throughout his immense body of work, including his song “7.” This year marks 7 years of uplifting Prince’s legacy and carefully preserving his prolific artistic output and his creative sanctuary. At Celebration 2023, guests will take a deep dive into understanding the cultural significance of 7 and how it has been reflected throughout history.

Of course, fans will also be treated to many of the same activities as past years.

Celebration 2023 begins Thursday night, June 8, with a launch party inside W Minneapolis – The Foshay, before moving out to Paisley Park for programming Friday through Sunday. Live performances over the weekend will feature the Grammy-award-winning Sounds of Blackness, former Mint Condition frontman Stokley Williams, singer Shelby J., members of the NPG, youth choir, Known MPLS, and a new artist showcase.

The always popular celebrity panels will include, among other topics, an exploration of Prince and hip hop with legends Doug E. Fresh and Chuck D, as well as a conversation with 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, the only and only, Chaka Khan.

Plus, in addition to studio tours (aka the Museum Experience), exclusive concert footage, an outdoor social event, VIP listening sessions, and other activities, there will be a special session to honor the legacy of incomparable Rosie Gaines.

Programming on Friday and Saturday will conclude with late-night dance parties, respectively showcasing the turntable talents of D-Nice and DJ Rashida, the latter of whose set will include not only a tribute to Prince, but to the recently departed Queen of Rock and Roll, Tina Turner.

VIP passes are sold-out, but both four-day and single-day tickets (for Friday and/or Saturday) are still available. For more details and to purchase your tickets, please visit www.paisleypark.com/celebration2023.