First Avenue

First Avenue is a music club in downtown Minneapolis housed in a former bus terminal with a black facade. Hundreds of silver stars decorate the outer walls showing which artists have already played here.

The building served as a Greyhound bus depot starting in 1937 and was converted into a nightclub in 1970. In the following years it developed into one of the most important places for rock music and alternative sounds in the Midwest.

The club earned its reputation in the eighties when local musicians like Prince regularly performed on its stage and helped shape the city's sound. Today visitors of all ages gather in the dark room to discover new bands or see established names.

The main building houses a large hall for known acts while the smaller side room called 7th Street Entry mostly presents local groups. Both rooms have separate entrances on different street sides so you should check beforehand where the respective concert takes place.

The 1984 film Purple Rain used the club as a filming location and made it known far beyond Minneapolis. To this day visitors can climb the stairs and walk through the same rooms that were visible in the film scenes back then.

Location: Minneapolis

Website: https://first-avenue.com

GPS coordinates: 44.97833,-93.27611

Latest update: December 13, 2025 19:33