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Saturday, February 28, 2026

Monqui Presents

Zara Larsson

Midnight Sun Tour 2026

7 pm doors, 8:30 pm show

All ages welcome

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Zara Larsson

Zara Larsson

When it came time to make her fourth international studio album, Midnight Sun, Swedish pop sensation Zara Larsson had her first choice of collaborators on speed dial. "I knew it had to be MNEK," she says of her "Never Forget You" duet partner and friend. "I knew it was time to get him back. I love him. We always do the best things together, we've been working throughout my whole career, and every time we're in the studio, it's a banger. I just love what he brings out of me."

Once the British songwriter and producer said yes, Zara put together the rest of her team-up-and-coming producer Margo XS and songwriter Helena Gao-and the core four got to work. On day one, they made "Midnight Sun" and lead single "Pretty Ugly"; looking around at each other, Zara says, they realized there was magic in the room. They felt an energy that connected them, emboldening her to be open, vulnerable, raw, and real in her lyrics, her vocal delivery, and the ambition which she felt safe to express in the songs they were creating. "It's almost like we all completed each other," Zara says. "We shared tastes and styles and references and stories-it's like I never had to explain myself when we were having conversations about what these songs could be. This close-knit group...I love to work like that, with people who understand me and vice versa."

Midnight Sun ripples with that same confidence and trust. Its storytelling bursts with truth and vulnerability, plumbing the depth and growth of Zara's artistry and journey over nearly 20 years in the public eye. It's an album unafraid to show all sides of the 27-year-old: lovestruck, wistful, ambitious, cocky, flippant, and uncertain, often in the same breath.

Midnight Sun follows Zara's first three albums (2017's So Good, 2021's Poster Girl, and last year's VENUS), building upon her legacy while taking things back to her roots. "Making this album brought me back to the very beginning, my first EPs when I started making music, because it was all about having fun and just creating and speaking honestly," she says. "I really felt no pressure. I think that made things not only feel more fun for me, but the songs feel more authentic, too. The people who will love this album will love a very true part of me, something that I am very proud of and excited about."

With "Midnight Sun" being the first completed song, Zara knew right away it also encompassed the holistic story she wanted to tell on the album. "In thinking about this album, I thought, 'What do I want to say? What do I want this to be?' I really am proud of my Swedish pop heritage, so I wanted to write about a Swedish summer where the sun never goes down," she says. "I wanted the whole album to feel like it's a summer night and it never ends. And it doesn't matter if it's December: the summer night will be there for you. It's waiting for you and it will come back for you, and you will come back for it.

To follow "Midnight Sun" in the same session with lead single "Pretty Ugly," she admits with a laugh, "is maybe the craziest day of songwriting I've ever done. I remember sitting there and just saying, 'Let's write a song about going insane.' And it just felt like it was already sitting there in front of us, this block of ice that just needed sculpting. And I really just wanted to scream-so I did. We went back in the next day after hearing Margo's production to make the verses live up to how fire the song sounded, but what you hear today is what we sent off to be mixed that day because we knew then it was a smash."

On "Saturn's Return," the last song finished for Midnight Sun, Zara goes deep on the changes in her life that turning 27 illuminated. "I used to be so certain about every single thing growing up," she says. "And I used to love that about myself, having the answer to everything. But the older I get, the less I know, the less certain I am. It feels so good. And it's fine to sway a bit in the wind because I know who I am in my core deep down. But I have allowed myself to open up and view the world from other people's perspectives, to be more understanding, to be more compassionate, to be more empathetic. Like I say in the last verse, I had so much pressure and a lot of big goals when I was really young-I was way more stressed then than I am now. I was disappointed when I didn't get the things I thought I'd achieve. But then that's followed by acceptance and a new burst of inspiration and rediscovery. For me, this song is about stepping into a new era in my life."

A bookend to "Saturn's Return," "The Ambition" leaves no stone unturned when it comes to goals, dreams, and the perception of competition encouraged by social media. "Being born as someone who is ambitious and someone who never wants to do something half ass, I've always wanted to be number one. Like, why would I be second when I can be first? But that's setting yourself up for failure because how I viewed my whole life is that if I win, I'm not really that happy because it's expected. But if I don't win, then the world is falling down upon me. So I never really get to experience true joy in being so ambitious. It can always feel a little bit like: what's next? I think that is the duality of who I am as an artist."

Other highlights like "Girl's Girl" might remind longtime Zara fans of "Ain't My Fault," dialed up to 11. And "Crush" is the album's "pop banger," a roller-coaster of emotions recalling the joy of having feelings you know you'll (probably) never act on. She calls "Blue Moon" a "straight-up pure love song about my boyfriend" written during a writer's retreat to Jamaica which Zara's partner joined her for. "Hot and Sexy" is a "Frankenstein-ed, three songs-in-one" Brazilian funk banger co-produced by Zhone about hitting the town with your friends and the importance of leaving women unbothered. "It's a bop, but there's also that message at the end: can't we just live our lives? Can't a woman just be beautiful, fly, hot, and sexy? Let her do what she wants!"

"Throughout Midnight Sun," Zara says, "I get to just capture that total Scandinavian vibe, which is something that I have grown up with-it's a huge part of me, my happiest memories and my saddest ones, too. A part of my soul is a Swedish summer night. This record encompasses that, how life is so beautiful it makes you cry."

"But it just feels like me-knowing myself, this album is just really, really me. And also," she says with a grin, "No one can do me the way I can."

Events

The Crystal Ballroom

1332 W. Burnside
Portland OR 97209

(503) 225-0047
Contact us

Where On Any Night, Anything Can Happen!!

In these walls...

The historic Crystal Ballroom -- now over a century old -- is one of those rare concert halls that can point to a proud, diverse history while also laying claim to an ongoing musical legacy. Every time you enter this majestic ballroom, let your imagination sense the tremors resonating from a century's worth of gatherings, and realize that you are joining a thriving, generations-long procession of show-goers. Welcome!

 

Tech Specs

Floor and stage plan
PDF download

Lighting diagram 
PDF download

Sound manifest
Crystal:
PDF download
Lola's Room: 
PDF download

Technical and logistical packet
For Crystal Ballroom & Lola's Room
PDF download

Ballroom height and beam-to-beam dimensions
16' 11" from beam to floor
19' 11" from floor to ceiling
14' 6" in between beams

Promoter Info

Rental Expenses To Outside Promoters

RENT VARIES, PLEASE CONTACT A BOOKING COORDINATOR
$900  SOUND & LIGHTS
$365  PRODUCTION MANAGER ($54.75/hr OT)
$255  STAGE MANAGER ($38.32/hr OT)
$255  FOH TECHNICIAN ($38.32/hr OT)
$255  MONITOR ENGINEER ($38.32/hr OT)
$255  LIGHTING DIRECTOR ($38.32/hr OT)
$150  HOSPITALITY ($20/hr OT) [mileage is 33 cents per mile]
$1,000*  SECURITY ($100/hr OT)
$100  BOX OFFICE STAFF ($20/hr OT)
$200  ADMINISTRATION FEE
$ ----  PARKING HOODS
$ ----  CHAIR RENTAL ($2 per chair)
$ ----  ADVERTISING
$500  PIPE AND DRAPE/BARRICADE
$175  STAGEHANDS
$ ----  BOX OFFICE CREDIT CARD FEE (3% of Box Credit Card Sales)

* Security cost is an estimate. Additional security may be required depending on the nature of the event. 

Overtime: All expenses incurred by the Crystal Ballroom for Catering, Advertising, requested stagehands, overtime (anything over 10 hours), backline, barricade, risers, etc. will be added to total rental rate.

Deposits: A non-refundable 50% room deposit and a $2,500 'untenured promoter fee' (UPF) is due immediately in order to secure the room. If ticket sales exceed 500 the 'UPF' will be refunded; if ticket sales are below 500 the room keeps the entire $2,500 to make up for less than 1/3 capacity and corresponding lack of sales. The 'UPF' will not be refunded if the event cancels within 60 days of the event.

Settlement: Venue will pay renter with a company check at the immediate conclusion of door sales. Venue will not provide any cash at settlement.

Late Night Fee: There is a $1,000/hour additional fee for any events after 3 a.m. We may also require additional security for events of that nature.

Merchandise: Merch rate is 20% they sell. We can provide a seller with advance notice and will keep 30% of sales. The outside promoter will receive no revenue from the merchandise as that is the prerogative of the house. House keeps a percentage of all transactions.

Tickets: All tickets must be placed through the venue onto the Cascade Tickets system. All comps, label buys, and holds must be approved by the venue. There is a $2/ticket venue fee at the Box Office.

Refunds: All refunds will be directed to the outside promoter. In the absence of an outside promoter representative, the venue shall use its own discretion regarding refunds and all refunds shall be deducted from settlement.

Insurance and Licenses: Renter must provide liability insurance not less than $1,000,000 for any single occurrence naming McMenamins Inc. d.b.a. Crystal Ballroom as additionally insured. Tickets will not be placed on sale until binder is received. Promoter is responsible for all ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC fees.

Production Advance: Performers or their representative must contact venue's production manager 5 days prior to the event in order to advance production needs, otherwise runner will arrive at 6 p.m. and all rider items/requests will be greatly limited if provided at all.

Layout: The Crystal Ballroom is located on the 3rd floor. The first floor is Ringlers Restaurant and the 2nd floor is Lola's Room, both of which may have a public or private event simultaneously with the Crystal.

Cancellation/Postponement: The contract covers the specified event for the specified date. No substitution will be accepted for a cancellation. If the event is postponed the room deposit will be transferred to the date of the new event but the $2,500 'UPF' will be applied toward the date of the originally scheduled show and an additional $2,500 will be required in order to reschedule.

Capacity: The venue's capacity is 1500*. All artist and promoter guests and comps will be deducted from sellable. Comp and guest space must be reserved in advance. House is entitled to 20 guests. House guests will not effect sellable. Promoter must have guest list to house no later than 2 hours prior to doors. VIP cap is 25.

* Seated capacity is 850. Seated shows must be 21 and over. There is a $2/chair rental fee.

Venue and corporate sponsor banners may be present during event.

Marketing your event at the Crystal Ballroom

Please contact Mike Walker for information about marketing your event through McMenamins resources.

Box Office

Please note! Both the Crystal Ballroom and Lola's Room specialize in open-floor shows with a very limited amount of seats. The rare seated events will be clearly denoted as such, within the event description on our schedule page.

Box Office Information

Tickets for all McMenamins shows are ticketed by Cascade Tickets, and may be purchased at the Crystal box office (located under the Crystal's awning) and McMenamins Edgefield, by phone at 1-855-CAS-TIXX, or by clicking the "Buy Tickets" link located at the event listing on our schedules.

Tickets bought directly at the Crystal box office or any of our four ticket outlets will only incur a $1 facility charge. (Please note! Tickets to Edgefield Concerts on the Lawn will incur additional service fees.)

Crystal Ballroom Box Office Hours 
Daily, 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The box office is open later on nights when there is a performance.

The box office accepts cash, VISA, MasterCard, American Express and DiscoverCard.

Will Call

Will call is located at the box office.

Refunds

All ticket purchases are non-refundable.

Parking

There are three pay lots nearby, and street parking is available.

Accessibility

Those with disabilities may call (503 225 0047) or email in advance to arrange early admittance.

There is an elevator located in the lobby.

Hold your Private Event at Crystal Ballroom

Weddings  Meetings  Social Events

The Crystal Ballroom is a truly awe-inspiring venue with its vaulted ceilings, grand chandeliers, giant wallscapes and famous "floating" dance floor. Accommodating groups from 100 to 1000 people, this 7,500-square-foot space includes access to the Ballroom's classic corner stage, floor-to-ceiling windows, swooping balcony, and full bar service.

Tucked in the Crystal’s second story is Lola’s Room accommodating events of up to 200 guests.  Lola’s comes with a handsome fully stocked bar, original artwork, and a floating dance floor all it’s own.

For overnight accommodations, our Crystal Hotel is just a block away!

Contact our sales team to inquire or book your event.
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Art

Artwork plays an important role in the character of McMenamins locations throughout Oregon and Washington. We believe art makes life richer and more enjoyable. So, you'll often find paintings covering our walls, ceilings doors, overhead pipes, and equipment -- works as diverse and entertaining as our places for family and friends. Many artists have contributed to this vast variety of delightful eye candy. Jump in and enjoy some now!

History

 

 

Explore the Crystal Blocks

Our Crystal Hotel and legendary Crystal Ballroom are just across the street from each other, each offering their own unique spaces for live music, Northwest style fare and McMenamins hand crafted beverages.  Explore these properties and all they have to offer. 

Crystal Ballroom Property

Crystal Ballroom  Lola's Room  Ringlers Pub  Crystal Brewery

Crystal Hotel Property

Crystal Hotel  Al's Den  Ringlers Annex  Zeus Cafe

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