The celebration of Somali independence includes a street festival in Minneapolis, a multiday soccer tournament, a concert at the Ordway, and festivals in Plymouth, Rochester, Owatonna and St. Cloud.
A huge festival in celebration of Somali culture will take over four blocks of Lake Street on Saturday, June 28, with food, live music, dancing and family fun.
The theme of this year’s Somali Week festival is midnimo, which means “unity” in Somali.
“The theme for this event is to bring people together to celebrate our differences, but to also celebrate our similarities as one community,” said Daud Mohamed, executive director of People in Action, the nonprofit organization hosting Somali Week.
Before the street festival on Saturday, Somali leaders from around the U.S. and Somalia will engage in a town hall discussion. Local and international Somali soccer teams are also participating in a multiday soccer tournament, which runs through July 2.
Last year, more than 45,000 people attended the street festival on Lake Street, according to Mohamed. In past years people have come from around the world to enjoy Somali food, dancing and live music, which Mohamed said is remarkable.
“Most important, the food is bonanza,” Mohamed said. “The music is bonanza.”
Suldaan Seeraar, a Somali singer and songwriter, will be performing at the Ordway Concert Hall Saturday night at the “Star of Unity” concert with local Somali musicians.
The festivities on Lake Street and around the state celebrate Somali Independence Day, which is July 1. On that day in 1960, the northern and southern regions of Somalia united and established the Republic of Somalia, breaking from British and Italian colonial rule.
Sixty-five years later, Minnesotans can celebrate Somali culture at events in the Twin Cities, Rochester, Owatonna and St. Cloud.
Mohamed Wardere, executive director of Hiddo Soor, a Somali nonprofit that hosts cultural events, said Somali business owners around the state, who sponsor the festivals, requested events in their towns so that their neighbors could understand their culture.
Wardere said when he began hosting cultural festivals, most attendees were members of the Somali community, but in recent years the wider community has participated in the festivities. Last year, about 4,000 people attended the festival in Plymouth, he said.
Wardere said he is excited that more people are learning about Somali history and gaining respect for his culture.
Explore Somali cultural events around Minnesota this summer:
Somali Week Global Soccer Tournament
Teams from Somalia, Sweden, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States and Minnesota will compete in a series of soccer games. Fans will also enjoy food and music.
Date and time: 7 p.m Sunday, June 22 to 11 p.m. Wednesday, July 2
Location: Griffin Stadium, Central High School, 275 Lexington Pkwy. N., St. Paul
Cost: Early-round games are free. Tickets for the final game on July 2 will be $10-15.
Somali Day Festival
This outdoor festival takes over a stretch of Lake Street in the heart of Minneapolis. The celebration of Somali Independence Day will include food, music, vendors, face-painting, henna and games for kids.
Date: Saturday, June 28
Time: 12 to 8 p.m.
Location: 30 W. Lake St., Minneapolis
Cost: Free
‘Star of Unity: A Night of Somali Dance and Live Music’
The Ordway Concert Hall is showcasing live music and dance performances that feature vocalists and a live band playing traditional Somali instruments, such as the kaban and durbaan. Suldaan Seeraar, a Somali singer and songwriter, will headline.
Date: Saturday, June 28
Time: 7 to 9 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m.
Location: Ordway Concert Hall, 345 Washington St., St. Paul
Cost: Tickets starting at $29.
Rochester Independence and Cultural Day
The Somali American Social Service Association and Hiddo Soor will host a cultural festival with food, music, vendors and activities.
Date: Sunday, July 6
Time: 5 to 8 p.m.
Location: Math and Science Academy, 415 16th St. S.W., Rochester
Cost: Free
Owatonna Somali Cultural Festival and Independence Day
Hiddo Soor will host the first ever Somali cultural festival in Owatonna, which will include live music performances by Somali pop stars, dance, poetry and other activities.
Date: Sunday, July 6
Time: 5 to 8 p.m.
Location: Central Park, 100 E. Main St., Owatonna
Cost: Free
Plymouth Somali Cultural Festival
Hiddo Soor’s fourth annual Somali Cultural Festival in Plymouth will feature music performances from prominent Somali artists, including Nimcaan Hilaac, a Somali singer and songwriter and co-founder of Hiddo Soor, and Somali pop singer Hodan Abdirahman. The festival will also include food, art, dance and educational speakers, who will discuss housing, finance, public safety and health.
Date: Saturday, July 19, 2025
Time: 5 to 9 p.m.
Location: Hilde Performance Center, 3500 Plymouth Blvd., Plymouth
Cost: Free
St. Cloud Somali Cultural Festival
The festival will shut down St. Cloud streets for a celebration of Somali culture with food, music and family activities.
Date: Saturday, August 2, 2025
Time: 5 to 9 p.m.
Location: 14th to 12th avenues and W. St. Germain Street, St. Cloud
Cost: Free
Somali-Swedish Culture Exchange
The American Swedish Institute and the Somali Museum of Minnesota are co-hosting a cultural exchange with live music, dance, crafts, family activities and food from Somali and Swedish cultures.
Date: Sunday, August 3
Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: American Swedish Institute, 2600 Park Ave., Minneapolis
Cost: Free
Somali Culture 101 with the Somali Museum of Minnesota
Staff from the Somali Museum of Minnesota will present a lecture at the American Swedish Institute on the history and culture of Somali Minnesotans.
Date: Sunday, September 14
Time: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: American Swedish Institute
Cost: $20