TWICE Saint Paul Concert Review: Grand Casino Arena Made History
TWICE Saint Paul — Quick Read
- Historic night: TWICE headlined Saint Paul’s Grand Casino Arena, marking the biggest K-pop concert ever in Minnesota.
- Full lineup return: All nine members performed, including Dahyun’s comeback after injury.
- 360° stage impact: The rotating in-the-round setup delivered immersive views and nonstop high-energy performances.
- Setlist highlights: Opened with “THIS IS FOR” and closed with fan-favorite hits like “Fancy” and “Feel Special.”
TWICE walked into Grand Casino Arena on April 12, 2026, and turned Saint Paul into the most electric K-pop venue the Twin Cities had ever seen. The city had waited years for a show of this scale. When the lights finally dropped, Minnesota got every second of it.
This stop was part of TWICE’s THIS IS FOR World Tour 2026, the largest K-pop girl group tour ever staged. Saint Paul was both a first-time debut market and a statement show, landing deep in the North American run as the group moved toward its final U.S. dates.
TWICE Saint Paul: Why This Night Mattered
No K-pop group had ever headlined an arena in Minnesota at this level. The Saint Paul stop broke new ground for the Twin Cities market and placed Grand Casino Arena, the venue formerly known as Xcel Energy Centre, firmly on the map for international touring acts.
TWICE arrived in Saint Paul fresh off Detroit and built momentum toward their Denver finale. The North American leg had already delivered sold-out nights in Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, and Boston. Saint Paul fans knew exactly what was coming, and they came ready.
7 members performed: Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, and Tzuyu. After Dahyun’s ankle fracture sidelined her and Chaeyoung was still out as well with her lower back problems.
Concert Snapshot
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, April 12, 2026 |
| Venue | Grand Casino Arena, Saint Paul, MN |
| Show Start | 8:00 PM CT |
| Stage Setup | 360-degree in-the-round rotating stage |
| Tour Leg | North America THIS IS FOR World Tour |
The Opening: “THIS IS FOR” Sets the Tone
The show opened with the tour’s title track, “THIS IS FOR.” The moment the intro hit, Grand Casino Arena erupted. Thousands of CANDYBONG ∞ lightsticks lit the bowl in synchronized pink and white.
Right away, the 360-degree stage made itself known. TWICE moved across the full rotating platform, making sure every section of the arena felt close to the action. For fans seated in the upper bowl, this in-the-round layout delivered something that traditional end-stage shows simply cannot: direct sightlines from every angle.
The energy carried through the early portion of the set with precision. “Strategy,” “I Can’t Stop Me,” “Moonlight Sunrise,” and “The Feels” kept the crowd locked in. Each song felt like it raised the stakes rather than letting momentum settle.
Act-by-Act Breakdown
Act One: The Statement
TWICE opened with power. The staging, the projections, the live band—all of it arrived at full intensity from the first note. Act One moved through recent material and flagship hits, establishing the visual and sonic scope of the night.
The 360-degree platform rose and lowered as members rotated across it. Up to 20 backup dancers joined the group at peak moments, filling the floor space with synchronized choreography.
Act Two: The Edge
After a costume change, TWICE shifted into darker territory. The girls swapped the light, ethereal looks of Act One for something harder and more dramatic. A remix of “Cry For Me” anchored the mid-show turn, and “Right Hand Girl” brought the rock-influenced energy to its peak.
The lighting rig shifted to deeper reds and blues. The LED cube overhead spread light across the arena floor in a pattern that turned the venue’s ceiling into something surreal.
Act Three: The Solo Stages
The solo stages drew the biggest individual reactions of the night. Each member performed a highlight from their solo catalog, roughly 60 to 90 seconds, that showcased their distinct styles and creative identities.
Jeongyeon’s performance of “Fix A Drink,” her country-inspired solo number, brought the arena to its loudest singular moment. The bedazzled cowgirl hat and choreography landed exactly as intended: pure, joyful, and completely her own.
Jihyo’s solo stage reminded the crowd why she is one of K-pop’s most commanding live performers. Her vocal control, stage presence, and connection to the audience came through in every bar. Tzuyu’s “Dive In” solo brought a quieter, more reflective energy, a deliberate contrast that gave the solo section its emotional range.
Nayeon, Momo, Sana & Mina each delivered solo moments that felt true to their individual artistic identities, one of the genuine strengths of TWICE as a nine-member group.
Act Four: The Unit and the Throwbacks
Jihyo and Jeongyeon took the spotlight for “TAKEDOWN”, the track from the Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters. The crowd, including fans who came to the show specifically because of Demon Hunters, roared when the intro played.
The final section of the night leaned into TWICE’s deep back catalog. “Fancy,” “What Is Love?” “Yes or Yes,” “Dance the Night Away,” and “Feel Special” gave the audience a wave of nostalgia that landed differently in a packed arena than it ever does through headphones.
Watching these songs live and loved over nearly a decade, formed live in front of thousands of fans who know every word, was the defining emotional moment of the night.
The Crowd and Fan Energy
Saint Paul ONCE showed up organized. Fan projects circulated in the days before the show, and the arena floor was dense with synchronized lightsticks from early in the evening. The mix of longtime fans and newer audiences, many introduced to TWICE through Demon Hunters, created a crowd with a wide range and strong collective energy.
Both groups knew every word. That was the most visible testament to the tour’s reach: the fandom has grown, and the newer segment has gone deep.
Encore
The encore brought the full group back to a building that had no intention of letting the night end quietly. The set rounded out with a fan-favorite election that matched the energy the crowd brought from the opening note.
The concert closed with the kind of finale that stays with you not because of any single theatrical moment but because of the cumulative weight of two-plus hours of precise, passionate performance from nine people who have clearly grown into one of live music’s most complete acts.
What’s Next
TWICE moved on to Denver’s Ball Arena on April 14 before closing the North American leg in Austin on April 17 and 18. After that, the tour heads to Europe for shows across Lisbon, Barcelona, Paris, Turin, Berlin, Cologne, Amsterdam, and London. You can follow the full schedule at the TWICE World Tour hub.
For fans still planning to attend any remaining dates, the full THIS IS FOR setlist guide breaks down every act, solo stage, and typical encore structure in detail.
FAQs: TWICE Saint Paul Concert
Was the TWICE Saint Paul concert sold out?
The Grand Casino Arena show on April 12, 2026, drew a packed house. It marked the largest K-pop concert ever held in Minnesota.
Did Dahyun perform at the Saint Paul show?
No. Dahyun’s ankle fracture sidelined her
What songs did TWICE open with in Saint Paul?
TWICE opened with “THIS IS FOR,” launching straight into the four-act setlist structure used throughout the North American run.
Was the 360-degree stage used at Grand Casino Arena?
Yes. TWICE used their full in-the-round rotating stage, giving fans in every section a direct view of the performance throughout the night.
How long was the TWICE Saint Paul concert?
Based on the THIS IS FOR World Tour’s consistent runtime across North America, the show ran approximately two and a half to three hours, including the encore.