All of your singing along to Prince songs in the car may have finally paid off. Paisley Park and the City of Minneapolis are inviting fans to gather for a free, all-ages block party and Prince sing-along for Prince Celebration 2026 on Saturday.
A 100-voice community choir will sing Prince’s biggest hits, led by musical director Sanford Moore of jazz ensemble Moore By Four, outside of First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The event is part of several days of celebrations for what would have been Prince's 68th birthday. April marked the 10th anniversary of his death.
Ben Johnson, the arts and cultural affairs director for the city, got the idea of the sing-along from festivals in Estonia where tens of thousands of people sing. The Estonian Song Festival started in 1869 and inspired resistance against Soviet control of the country.
“I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, if we could just make the ground shake in Minneapolis with thousands of people singing Prince, that would be a really glorious moment,” Johnson said.
The space can fit about 10,000 people, but Johnson expects it to reach over 15,000. Prince performed frequently at First Avenue and it served as the central location in Prince’s blockbuster film “Purple Rain.” When Prince died in 2016, thousands of fans gathered outside First Avenue and sang his songs.
Nearby is the 100-foot mural of Prince that debuted in 2022.
“Nothing Compares 2 U” will be sang as a tribune to the city of Minneapolis and “Sometimes it Snows in April” as a dedication to Prince’s death, according to Johnson.
Moore said for months he has been in the depths of Prince’s catalog to focus on the meanings of the songs and learning all of the lyrics. Ages of those in the choir range from middle schoolers to late 70s. Moore said even if you don’t know all the words — don’t worry. There will be lyrics on screens and the point of the sing-along is to honor Prince.
“I’m really looking forward to having this experience and all those voices just singing along and paying tribute to this genius of a man,” he said. “I really want them [attendees] to feel that they have celebrated Prince in a magnificent way and that the community of this great city in the Twin Cities has come together to really acknowledge his contribution to the music scene.”
He’s most looking forward to performing hits like “1999,” “When Doves Cry” and “Kiss.”
The free block party runs 2-10 p.m. Saturday.
