It’s been seven years since the world lost Prince. Every year, to mark his birthday, his Paisley Park estate in Minnesota is the venue for a massive celebration of life for the music icon. This year, the “Celebration,” as it’s simply called, will feature some special unreleased music.
Prince’s vault of tunes that never saw the light of day is notoriously huge. Every year, his estate has unveiled some of those songs to the public at the Celebration. The 2023 edition, set to take place June 8-11, will be themed around the number seven.
“This year marks seven years of uplifting Prince’s legacy and carefully preserving his prolific artistic output and his creative sanctuary,” a statement said, per Billboard. “At Celebration 2023, guests will take a deep dive into understanding the cultural significance of seven and how it has been reflected throughout history.”
Prince’s untimely death in April 2016 left a hole in the music industry and especially in his hometown of Minneapolis. Beginning in 2017, his life has been commemorated with the annual Celebration. This year’s festivities will include appearances by Chaka Khan, Chuck D, and Doug E. Fresh. It will also include performances from some Minneapolis natives, including Stokley of Mint Condition, Sounds of Blackness, DJ Rashida, Prince’s New Power Generation band members, Shelby J, The Steeles, and local youth choir Known MPLS.
A tour of the massive compound will split attendees into two groups deemed “Diamonds” and “Pearls.” They’ll have access to Prince’s unreleased recordings and live tapes from throughout his career. The weekend will also include a legacy tribute show paying homage to Rosie Gaines, Prince’s longtime collaborator and a founding member of New Power Generation.
The number seven was significant to the legendary singer. His birthday is June 7 and he frequently referenced the number in his music, most notably with the song “7” from his 1992 album Love Symbol. The number also is frequently associated with wholeness, perfection, and luck.