Breakaway 2026 ok’d, other changes eyed

The 2026 Breakaway Music Festival will tune up June 26-27, 2026. The festival, in its third year in St. Paul, is joined this summer by the Great Lawn Concert Series, which began May 29 with a tribute to Pink Floyd.
The future of music at United Village could be different in the years to come. Breakaway organizers could wind up seeking another site as United Village is developed.

And the notion of a year-round entertainment venue at the southwest corner of University Avenue and Pascal Street has been shelved, in light of additional state funding to improve the downtown Roy Wilkins Audition.
The 2026 Minnesota Legislature awarded $40 million to renovate Wilkins, which dates from 1932 and hasn’t had extensive work since the 1980s. Its renovation is expected to bring back the concerts that venue was once known for.

But funding for Wilkins has prompted the United Village developers to shelve their entertainment venue complex idea. “We really can’t compete with that,” said United Village consultant Mike Hahm.

And then there is the future of Breakaway, which obtained its sound level variance earlier this spring from the St. Paul City Council. Jarrod Fucci, Breakaway president, told the City Council that festival organizers may be looking for “other long-term options” for 2027 and beyond. That’s because brick-and-mortar development on the drawing boards near Allianz Field mean less space available for music lovers.

This year’s attendees will see a restaurant pavilion nearing completion, and construction underway for an office building and hotel with attached parking ramp.

“We’re excited to return to the great city of Saint Paul,” said Fucci. He outlined a number of steps festival organizers are taking, including mailing the event notice to more neighbors.

Breakaway roiled neighbors and generated sound complaints as far south as Lilydale when it debuted in 2024. That year city officials received 641 complaints.

That was in contrast to 2025. A real time comment line added last year received 53 calls, ranging from “I love the event” to “It’s loud.” Every respondent was given the opportunity to have the sound level measured at their residence. Only one person requested this and based on the measurement, adjustments were made.
But last year the sound level variance returned to the council more than once after neighbors complained that they had not had a chance to weigh in.

This year a concern raised at a Union Park District Council (UPDC) meeting centered on spillover parking, which Fucci said the organizers are working to address.

The electronic dance music festival was granted a variance in April, to cover activity on two stages. Amplified sound, with limitations, will be allowed from 3 to 10:30 p.m. on Friday, June 26, and 2 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, June 27. A pre-event sound check will be on Thursday, June 25, from 6 until 6:30 p.m. and 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on June 26 and June 27. Pre-event sound checks shall not exceed 80 dBA or decibels as measured at 50 feet from the sound source.

The permit specifies what are called “various escalating sound level limits” and spells out sounds levels and sound measuring distances for both stages. The permit is for 94 dBA at 125 feet to 103 dBA at 125 feet over the festival hours each day for the main stage. For the secondary stage, the permit is for sound level limits of 92 dBA at 100 feet to 100 dBA at 100 feet over a span of hours from 3 p.m. until 9:10 p.m. on June 26, and June 27 on the secondary stage.

No one appeared at this year’s council hearing to speak against the variance. UPDC met with Fucci earlier this year and sent a letter recommending support of the permit with conditions.

The permit also spells out how Breakaway will monitor noise levels, and how those measurements will be reported to city staff. Breakaway is also required to reimburse the city’s Department of Safety and Inspections (DSI) staff for up to 10 hours of overtime work to monitor sound levels as well as alcohol service, consumption and containment. That cost is capped at $641.

All electronically powered equipment, PA systems, loudspeakers, or similar devices shall be turned off no later than 10:30 p.m. both days of the event, under permit conditions.

The council also has approved variances for the Great Lawn Concert Series, featuring various tribute bands outside of the soccer stadium. Attendance is capped at 5,000 people per concert, with each featuring a different tribute band theme. That’s smaller than Breakaway’s capacity.

“We’re incredibly excited to launch our first-ever summer concert series and welcome world-class artists to our stadium,” Allianz Field General Manager Justin Borrell said in a statement. “Allianz Field was built to be a premier entertainment destination, and this concert series shows the growth of being more than just a sports venue; it’s a gathering place for music, culture and community.”

The next concert is June 13 with Blank Space, an unofficial Taylor Swift tribute band. Monthly concerts continue through September with tributes to the Killers, Queen and Journey, yacht rock bands and Oasis.