MN Shortlist

Minnesota Shortlist is your weekly curated roundup of recommended arts events from MPR News, highlighting standout theater and music performances, exhibits and gatherings around the region.

MN Shortlist: Holiday mischief And Minnesota traditions — 6 Picks For Dec. 12-18
This week, the options swing from sugarplum surges to noir-tinged radio chaos to a rock opera still sparking after 50 years.
MN Shortlist: Winter stories, warmer rooms — 6 picks for Dec. 5–Dec. 11
December arrives like a season that knows it’s putting on a show. The city fills with borrowed memories, holiday oddities, local stories and a little frost for dramatic effect. This week’s picks slip right into that cast, where familiar traditions get re-staged and the past refuses to stay backstage.
MN Shortlist: Slow Burns & Bright Lights — 6 Picks for Nov. 21–27
As parade season kicks in and the evenings arrive early, this week’s picks offer a mix of music, theater and small-scale surprises. From Duluth’s gingerbread “city” to a new festival of collaborative work in Minneapolis, here are six solid ways to make the most of the week ahead.
MN Shortlist: From vinyl to verse — seven picks for Nov. 14–20
From Tom Waits’s 35mm fever dream to a queer book fair, dance theater and open studios, this week’s MN Shortlist rounds up the art, sounds and stories worth stepping out into the chill for.
MN Shortlist: Light, sound and sleuthing — 6 picks for Nov. 7–13
Immersive light shows, symphonic rap, murder mysteries and a hometown folk revival — this week’s picks span from a glowing Basilica to backroom guitars.
MN Shortlist: From the Fitzgerald to Transexual, Transylvania  — 9 picks for Oct. 31 to Nov. 6
As October gives way to November, the Twin Cities lean into transformation — through ritual, remembrance and a little rock ‘n’ roll. From the fiery puppetry of Barebones to the haunting harmonies of “Carmina Burana” at the Fitzgerald, it’s a week where art and afterlife mingle freely.
MN Shortlist: Songs, stories and spells — six picks for Oct. 25–29
A weekly lineup of standout arts and culture happenings, handpicked by the MPR News team for those who like their weekends with a little extra spark. From indie pop hauntings to living memory onstage, this week hums with art that lingers long after the lights go down.
MN Shortlist, Oct. 3-9: Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein' at Cine Latino and more
MN Shortlist is your weekly curated roundup of recommended arts events from MPR News, this week featuring a Bloody Mary festival, the art of Puerto Rico and its diaspora and more!