Venues › Twin Cities
Downtown Minneapolis
First Avenue
The Minnesota music landmark, and the room Purple Rain made famous.
- Capacity
- About 1,550
- Opened
- 1970, as The Depot
- Operator
- First Avenue Productions (independent)
- Tickets
- AXS
- Address
- 701 First Ave N, Minneapolis
- Ages
- Set per show
First Avenue opened on April 3, 1970 as The Depot, inside the city's 1937 Greyhound bus depot. It went through a couple of names (Uncle Sam's, then Sam's) before becoming First Avenue on New Year's Eve 1981.
Prince made it world-famous: the concert scenes of Purple Rain were filmed here in late 1983, and the film came out in 1984. The black exterior is covered in more than 400 painted stars honoring the performers and figures who shaped the room. Prince's star was painted gold in 2016.
It's still independent. First Avenue Productions also runs the 7th St Entry next door, the Turf Club, Fine Line, the Palace Theatre (with JAM Productions), the Fitzgerald, and the new MPLS CPAC amphitheater at Upper Harbor.
Capacities are approximate and change with the show’s layout. Age policy is set per show; check the event listing before you go.