Colorado Music Venues

A Colorado summer vacation means seeing a concert at one of Colorado’s iconic music venues. It is mesmerizing to share a stream of live music under the stars and brilliant blue skies, over the rails, and up the rocks with your favorite friends. Schedule seeing a concert at least one of these iconic Colorado music venues as part of your summer trip. Check the concert calendar to find a show.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre – 17+ miles west of Denver

The most iconic Colorado music venue is Red Rocks. Attending a show between the Red Rocks’ is well worth experiencing. The two 300-foot monoliths, Red Rocks, geographically formed stage delivers acoustic perfection and some of the biggest names in music. The Grateful Dead, The Beatles, and U2 have all performed here. Feel the breeze from the top and watch the sunset over Denver at this world-famous venue in Morrison.

Chautauqua Auditorium – 2 miles south of Boulder

For over a century, stars like Joan Baez, Mary Chapin Carpenter and BB King have enjoyed playing at this open-architecture music venue near Boulder. Excellent acoustics reverberate throughout what locals lovingly call “the barn,” and minimal modifications have been made since its opening in 1898. Kick back among rustic Oregon fir beams and take in an intimate performance – the venue holds only 1,326 guests – Chautauqua Auditorium is a National Historic Landmark.

The Mishawaka Amphitheatre – 24 miles west of Fort Collins

Head up the scenic Poudre Canyon northwest of Fort Collins for this tucked-away riverside gem. The Mish is a no-frills mountain music venue featuring a year-round bar and restaurant (try their buffalo burger with a pint of Odell’s craft beer). The outdoor lodgepole-pine stage hosts genres spanning indie to jam bands May through September in a setting that’s pure Colorado.

Telluride Town Park Music Venues

Telluride is a southwest Colorado resort town known for its epic skiing during the winter. Come summertime, all eyes turn to Town Park and its equally impressive annual festival calendar. The permanent outdoor stage hosts legendary multi-day bluegrass, jazz, and blues gatherings. Pair top-billed musicians with 360-degree box canyon views and convenient adjacent campgrounds, and you’ll quickly see why folks travel from all over the world to land here.

Out of the Way Colorado Music Venues

Rancho Del Rio – 35 miles NW of Vail

This funky, off-the-path rural “resort” is situated near Bond (take I-70 west past Vail, hang a right) and is the ideal summer rafting, camping, and concert-going trifecta. Water lovers flock to the Colorado River headwaters for stellar whitewater rafting, kayaking, canoeing, and trout fishing and then set up base downriver at Rancho, where the stage, cabins, and campsites rest on the riverbank, providing a postcard backdrop for laid-back music and arts festivals.

Planet Bluegrass Ranch Music Venue – 25 miles North of Boulder

Set alongside the St. Vrain River in the small mountain town of Lyons, this open-air stage and surrounding grassy stretch is a relaxing, family-friendly music venue. The annual mellow Folks Fest and upbeat RockyGrass festival are must-attends for any folk and bluegrass fan. Famous strummers and singers like Steve Martin, Sam Bush and Jackson Brown have graced this northern Colorado stage. Relax on the sandy riverside beach, in the family craft tent or at the nearby campgrounds between shows.

Fir Summit Amphitheater – 50 miles west of Walsenburg

Ride the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad from June through September from Alamosa to the top of La Veta Pass, where you’ll find a humble solar- and wind-powered amphitheater set in a stunning mountain clearing. The Mountain Rails Live summer series is accessible only by train. Please pull up a hay bale, grab some barbecue from the chuckwagon, and enjoy homegrown bands playing their hearts out in the Sangre de Cristo mountains.

Find more summer vacation ideas to add to your itinerary while in Colorado.

By Lisa Blake