Burnsville Festival & Fire Muster 2026: Music Lineup, Drone Show, Fireworks and Free Admission

TLDR

• Sept. 10-12, 2026. City calendar lists admission as free.
• Thursday: Free & Easy Band at Nicollet Commons Park.
• Friday: Old School 191, then Kat Perkins Country Roads, plus a 1,000-drone show at Civic Center Park.
• Saturday: Femmes of Rock and the America’s 250th fireworks at Civic Center Park.
• VIP is an optional 21-and-older area, not a ticket to get in.

Burnsville Festival & Fire Muster returns Sept. 10-12, 2026, with free admission, three nights of music and two major nighttime spectacles: a 1,000-drone show Friday and the festival’s largest-ever fireworks show Saturday. Thursday’s kickoff is at Nicollet Commons Park. Friday and Saturday’s main-stage shows move to Civic Center Park.

If you used our Dakota County Fair music lineup to plan that week, this is the Burnsville version. Here’s what is scheduled, where to go and what is free.

Is the music free?

Yes. The festival is free to enter, and the posted main-stage music schedule does not list a separate general-admission concert ticket. The optional $50 VIP wristband is for the 21-and-older VIP area on Friday or Saturday, not for entry to the festival grounds. General festival entry is free.

Times can shift. Recheck burnsvillefestival.org before you leave, especially Saturday’s multicultural-stage acts.

The 2026 lineup

Thursday, Sept. 10 — Nicollet Commons Park

• 5:30-8:30 p.m. — Free & Easy Band
• 5-8:30 p.m. — Food-truck kickoff block party (Nicollet Commons / Ames Center plaza)
• 6-8 p.m. — Craft beer tasting and food sampling at the Heart of the City parking deck

Friday, Sept. 11 — Civic Center Park

• 6-7 p.m. — Old School 191
• 8-11 p.m. — Kat Perkins Country Roads
• 9:30-9:45 p.m. — 1,000-drone aerial show

Saturday, Sept. 12 — Civic Center Park

• 2-6 p.m. — Multicultural Music Stage (acts not named on the posted schedule)
• 8-11 p.m. — Femmes of Rock
• 9:30-9:50 p.m. — America’s 250th fireworks

The festival page says Femmes of Rock is playing Minnesota for the first time.

Know before you go

• Thursday location: Nicollet Commons Park and Ames Center plaza, not Civic Center Park.
• Friday and Saturday: Main events are at Civic Center Park.
• Transit: MVTA is running free buses from Burnsville Transit Station to Civic Center Park Friday 3:35-11:50 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-11:40 p.m.
• After 8 p.m.: Ages 17 and younger need a parent or guardian.
• What to bring: A personal water bottle is allowed. Coolers and outside food or drinks are not.
• Pets: Registered service dogs only.
• Kids: The festival also includes kid-focused activities Friday and Saturday. Family Fun Zone closes at 8 p.m. both nights. Kidz Korner is Friday 5-8 p.m. and Saturday 12-4 p.m., with baby crawl races at 1 p.m. and big-wheel races at 2 p.m. Saturday. They are advertising $3 off wristband presale for the fun zone. The regular wristband price is not listed on the pages we checked.
• Saturday extras: Fire truck and community parade, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on East 130th Street.
• Before leaving: Recheck the official schedule, especially Saturday multicultural-stage acts and weather.

The Bottom Line

Festival entry is free. Go Thursday for the Nicollet Commons kickoff, Friday for Kat Perkins Country Roads and the drone show, or Saturday for Femmes of Rock and the America’s 250th fireworks display. Arrive early for parking, shuttle timing and a better viewing spot. If you are taking children, review the after-8 p.m. supervision rule and check the official schedule before leaving.