Basilica Block Party


The Basilica Block Party is an annual two-day music festival that takes place in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The event is hosted by the Basilica of St. Mary and described by City Pages as "summertime's hottest church party". The festival is the largest music festival held within the city of Minneapolis.
The event is in its third decade, with past headlining artists including Ryan Adams, Weezer, Imagine Dragons, Ray LaMontagne, Panic! At The Disco, Trampled by Turtles, Spoon, Ziggy Marley and The Wallflowers. While the Basilica serves as the space for the event, the church's involvement is minimal.
In 2018, the only indication of the Catholic church's involvement was "the booth where attendees can snap pictures with a blessed cardboard cutout of His Holiness himself, Pope Francis."

History

The event serves to raise money toward the ongoing restoration of the Basilica of St. Mary. The event is in its 24th summer and draws approximately 25,000 attendees to downtown Minneapolis every summer.
The event "started off with controversy" in 1995, according to The Star Tribune, as "people questioned using beer and rock music to raise money for a historic Catholic church." It began as a fundraiser to pay for a $9.5 million structural restoration of the Basilica of St Mary, the first basilica established in the United States of America. Five percent of the proceeds from the event go toward the St. Vincent de Paul outreach program, which provides services to those in need.
In its opening year, it drew more than 15,000 people, raising over $100,000.
In 1995, the majority of the bands were local. Since then, the roster has evolved, with past performers including Semisonic, The Wallflowers, The Avett Brothers, Weezer, AWOLNATION, and Ryan Adams.

Lineups

2019

Friday July 12

Friday July 6

Friday July 7

Friday July 8

Friday July 10

Friday, July 11

Friday July 12

Friday, July 6