The Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee revealed new activities for the 10-day free fan festival on Nicollet Mall, including an ice rink for visitors to try to stay upright, a heated lounge with fire pits and an IMAX-style dome that allows fans to experience football in the round.
Pop-up Prince exhibit, ice skating and an IMAX-style dome part of 10-day Super Bowl Live event
Organizers announce more activities on Nicollet Mall before the big game.
January 16, 2018 at 11:44AM
Delta Air Lines will install a restaurant resembling an aircraft with the fuselage as a grilling chamber capable of kicking out 500 burgers an hour. There will be a Prince pop-up exhibit with artifacts from Paisley Park. ESPN, NBC, CNN and the NFL Network will all broadcast live from the event as will KARE-11.
Super Bowl Live starts the evening of Jan. 26 and runs through game day, Feb. 4. It is the host committee's biggest expense that will consume much of the more than $50 million in privately raised funds for the whole event. The planners tout the event as "food, fun, and more" with "nods to winter that showcase Minnesota's authentic, Bold North Brand."
Organizers expect attendance of 1 million to Super Bowl Live, which runs up the mall from 12th to 6th street south. The centerpiece of the event is the live music, showcasing acts with Minnesota connections, such as the Suburbs, Soul Asylum, the Jayhawks and Dessa. Monday, Jan. 29, will be Prince Day with performers Sheila E., the Revolution and Morris Day & the Time, all of whom have ties to the late superstar. The full roster of music hasn't been announced yet nor have the dates and times of performances.
New events come with new sponsors. The "Doritos Blaze Lounge," including fire pits by Heat and GLO, will provide a space to warmup. Hyundai will sponsor the ice rink (skates are free). Target, Hormel, Schwan's, Sleep Number and Tostitos will all have a presence as will the Hallmark Channel with its "Kitten Bowl."
Larger-than-life ice sculptures and a life-size snow globe will appear along the way as will the Vikings Longhouse, with virtual tours of U.S. Bank Stadium, and the Polaris UpsideDowntown exhibit featuring professional snowmobile stars. Levi LaVallee will perform his signature back flip over the mall at 11th Street at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. The stunt will temporarily close Nicollet Mall at 11th Street.
For the duration of the event, only 8th St. S. will be closed because the music stage is set there. All others will be open, including 9th St. S. where the American Birkebeiner International Bridge is going up now. Every evening will feature the largest projection mapping light show in Minnesota history that will "change the landscape of Nicollet Mall at two different locations," a news release said.
Still to be announced is the "Bold North Menu" of available food.
When it's released, the Super Bowl LII app, will allow visitors to download a map, skip lines and pre-order NFL gear.
"From our Minnesota Sound and outdoor winter sports to our creative cuisine and nightlife, Nicollet Mall will be a shining example of our Bold North lifestyle," host committee CEO Maureen Bausch said. "With a northern city hosting the Super Bowl, we are leaning into what makes Minnesota unique."
Rochelle Olson • 612-673-1747
Twitter: @rochelleolson
Mike Conley was in Minneapolis, where he sounded the Gjallarhorn at the Vikings game, on Sunday during the robbery.
