Bruce Springsteen didn't ease into his new tour so much as light a fuse under it. At the kickoff of his 2026 "Land of Hope and Dreams" run in Minneapolis on Tuesday night, the 74-year-old rocker opened not with a song, but with a speech that framed the night as a direct challenge to President Trump and his administration. Standing in darkness before a sold-out arena, Springsteen called the White House "corrupt, incompetent, racist, reckless, and treasonous," and urged fans to choose "democracy over authoritarianism" and "resistance over complacency." He offered a prayer for the "safe return" of American service members, Rolling Stone reports, and dedicated the night to a "celebration and defense of American ideals."
The lights then snapped on as the E Street Band launched into a fierce cover of Edwin Starr's "War" that slid straight into "Born in the USA." Springsteen said the tour was an urgent response to "dangerous times," including the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE officers, which helped spark the ICE resistance movement centered in Minneapolis. He stopped his protest track "Streets of Minneapolis" mid-song to lead an "ICE out now!" chant, and repeatedly honored Good and Pretti from the stage. Political themes ran through the concert, with fixtures like "No Surrender," "American Skin (41 Shots)," and "Long Walk Home" recast as commentary on war, policing, and what he portrayed as a battered constitutional order.
By Variety's count, Springsteen performed 27 songs and gave four speeches over three hours. He reiterated that institutions are failing, and citizens need to step in, saying, "this American tragedy can only be stopped by the American people," then turned "My City of Ruins" into a call for protest, its "rise up" refrain aimed at the country at large. He performed a solo "House of a Thousand Guitars," with lines about a "criminal clown" on the throne. In an earlier interview, Springsteen told the Minnesota Star-Tribune that he was willing to take criticism over his political message. "My job is very simple: I do what I want to do, I say what I want to say, and then people get to say what they want to say about it," he said. His encore was tailored to the location: Prince's "Purple Rain," which he dedicated to the "maestro."
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