How many times did Prince perform in Michigan? From electrifying Detroit arenas to his unforgettable Wings Stadium show, we’ve tracked down every known concert across the state. Dive into the complete timeline of his Michigan shows, including dates and venues.

Prince passed away on April 21st, 2016.  It's hard to believe that we are coming up on the 10th anniversary of Prince's passing.  I have been a Prince fan since I was a small child in the early to mid-80s.  I've been lucky enough to see Prince in concert 7 times, from Detroit to Chicago, Cincinnati, and Tampa.

 

WKFR logo
Get our free mobile app

 

Prince has a deep history with Michigan.  Even though he loved Minnesota and lived in Minneapolis his entire life, he often said that Detroit was his favorite city in the world to play in.  Detroit was the first city to embrace his music back in the late 70s and early 80s. In fact, his first radio play came from the Motor City. Prince went on to play 37 shows in the Detroit area.

He didn't ignore the West side.  Prince played four shows in West Michigan.  Three in Grand Rapids and one in Kalamazoo.  I can't imagine seeing Prince live at Wings Stadium.  Check out the full list of Prince performances in Michigan below.

Complete List of Prince Concerts in Michigan

  • Fire it up Tour - Prince opened up for Rick James on this tour.
    March 23, 1980 - Cobo Arena in Detroit
    April 4, 1980 - Saginaw Civic Center: Wendler Arena in Saginaw
  • Dirty Mind Tour
    December 20, 1980 - Cobo Arena in Detroit
    March 11, 1981 - Royal Oak Music Theatre in Royal Oak
    March 11, 1981 - Royal Oak Music Theatre in Royal Oak (2nd show, same night and venue)
    March 20, 1981 - EMU - Bowen Field House in Ypsilanti
  • Controversy Tour - Zapp and Roger and The Time opened up for Prince.
    December 4, 1981 - Joe Louis Arena in Detroit
    February 1, 1982 - Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor
  • 1999 Tour - The Time and Vanity 6 opened for Prince.
    November 30, 1982 - Masonic Temple Auditorium in Detroit
    December 1, 1982 - Masonic Temple Auditorium in Detroit
    December 2, 1982 - Masonic Temple Auditorium in Detroit
    December 2, 1982 - Masonic Temple Auditorium in Detroit  (2nd show, same night and venue)
    December 3, 1982 - Masonic Temple Auditorium in Detroit
    December 3, 1982 - Masonic Temple Auditorium in Detroit  (2nd show, same night and venue)
    December 8, 1982 - Saginaw Civic Center: Wendler Arena in Saginaw
    February 25, 1983 - MSU Auditorium in East Lansing
    February 27, 1983 - Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor
    March 13, 1983 - Wings Stadium in Kalamazoo
    April 8, 1983 -  Joe Louis Arena in Detroit
  • Purple Rain Tour - The Time, Sheila E, and Apollonia 6 opened for Prince and the Revolution.
    November 4, 1984 - Joe Louis Arena in Detroit
    November 5, 1984 - Joe Louis Arena in Detroit
    November 7, 1984 - Joe Louis Arena in Detroit
    November 8, 1984 - Joe Louis Arena in Detroit
    November 9, 1984 - Joe Louis Arena in Detroit
    November 11, 1984 - Joe Louis Arena in Detroit
    November 12, 1984 - Joe Louis Arena in Detroit
  • Pop Up Shows
    June 6, 1986 - Masonic Temple Auditorium in Detroit
    June 7, 1986 - Cobo Arena in Detroit
  • Love Sexy Tour
    October 30, 1988 - Joe Louis Arena in Detroit
    October 31, 1988 - Joe Louis Arena in Detroit
  • Act I Tour - Prince and the New Power Generation (NPG)
    April 1, 1993 - The Fox Theatre in Detroit
    April 2, 1993 - The Fox Theatre in Detroit
  • Love 4 One Another Charities Tour
    January 13, 1997 - State Theater in Detroit
  • Jam of the Year Tour - This North America tour kicked off in Michigan, featuring Larry Graham & Graham Central Station, Chaka Khan, and Doug E Fresh as supporting acts.
    July 21, 1997 - Pine Knob Music Center in Clarkston
    December 18, 1997 - Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids
    December 27, 1997 - The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills
  • New Power Soul Festival Tour
    October 24, 1998 - Joe Louis Arena in Detroit
  • Hit n Run Tour - Prince and 3rdEyeGirl
    November 14, 2000 - State Theater in Detroit
    November 19, 2000 - Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids
  • Prince Celebration Tour
    June 23, 2001 - Joe Louis Arena in Detroit
  • One Night Alone Tour
    March 1, 2002 - Heritage Theater in Saginaw
    March 6, 2002 - Detroit Opera House in Detroit
  • Musicology Tour
    June 20, 2004 - The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills
    June 21, 2004 - The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills
    July 30, 2004 - Joe Louis Arena in Detroit
    July 31, 2004 - The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills
    August 1, 2004 - Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids
  • HitnRun Tour
    April 9, 2015 - The Fox Theatre in Detroit

Were you lucky enough to see Prince in concert?  Tell us about in the comments.

If you are a huge Prince fam like I am, you might want to go on a little Prince tour yourself.  Below is a small list of places all purple people should visit.

 

Prince Places in Minneapolis

 

 

Prince: His Life in Photos

Stacker compiled a list of 25 things about Prince's life you may not know, citing memoir accounts, newspaper articles, archives, and official documents.

Gallery Credit: Cynthia Rebolledo

More From WKFR