Solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are powered by the sudden release of magnetic energy stored in the Sun’s low corona as a result of magnetic reconnection. Understanding these explosive events requires tracking how magnetic fields evolve—not only during, but also before the eruptions. Yet direct measurements of the 3D coronal magnetic field remain a major challenge. In this talk, I will overview what we currently know about the structure of the pre-eruption magnetic field and the physical mechanisms that trigger eruptions. I will also present recent results from both statistical and case-study analyses of Solar Dynamics Observatory and DKIST observations as well as data-driven MHD simulations of eruptive flares. I will conclude by looking ahead to the exciting future of solar physics, as new observatories will provide key empirical constraints on the physics of the solar flares in the decade to come.
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