Red Rocks Amphitheatre Celebrates 85 Years of Music and History

Celebrating 85 Years of Red Rocks Amphitheatre

On June 8, 2026, the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver marks its 85th anniversary. This stunning venue held a pre-opening ceremony on June 8, 1941, featuring speeches from local, state, and national officials and a performance by the Denver Youth Symphony Orchestra. During the event, the site’s significance was highlighted, along with commendation for the 500 Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) members who dedicated four years to its construction. The official grand opening took place on June 15, 1941, featuring an indigenous ceremony and a performance by the Denver Municipal Choir. With this notable event being broadcast nationwide via CBS, Red Rocks quickly gained national fame and was even featured in Time Magazine.

Eighty-five years later, Red Rocks has hosted a myriad of world-renowned artists and is synonymous with some of the legendary live albums recorded within its walls. Owned by the City and County of Denver and managed as part of the city’s mountain park system, Red Rocks has become an essential destination that attracts visitors not just for concerts but also for hiking, yoga classes, outdoor movie screenings, and more.

Over the years, Red Rocks has accumulated numerous accolades. In 1999, Pollstar named it the best small outdoor venue for the eleventh consecutive year, prompting the magazine to rename the award to the ‘Red Rocks Award,’ effectively removing it from competition. As of December 2025, Billboard named it the second highest-attended venue in the United States, while Pollstar recognized it as the world’s most attended amphitheater. Additionally, Rolling Stone lauded Red Rocks and the surrounding park as the most popular music venue in the nation in April 2023. Yet, nothing quite compares to the experience of attending a concert at Red Rocks, where natural acoustics enhance the performance, enveloped by towering sandstone formations.

Although Red Rocks has officially been celebrated since 1941, its historical roots stretch back 300 million years. During this ancient timeline, Colorado was a land of islands, shaped by oscillating seas that left behind sandy beaches now forming the distinctive sandstone formations we admire today. Long before becoming a concert venue, these lands were inhabited by the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe tribes, who utilized the site for meetings over centuries. In 1927, Denver acquired 675 acres of Red Rocks and initiated construction of scenic roads in the area. The CCC, aimed at providing jobs to youth during the Great Depression, performed the majority of the labor that transformed Red Rocks into a functioning park and amphitheater, completed in 1941.

Red Rocks is more than a musical venue; it houses a newly renovated Visitor Center within the amphitheater. The center showcases historical images, lists of annual artists, a gift shop, and the Red Rocks Hall of Fame. Guests can dine at the Ship Rock Grille terrace while taking in panoramic mountain views. For those seeking activity, there's the challenge of climbing 193 steps from the stage to the upper plaza, or walking the 9,525 hand-carved seats, spanning roughly 4.3 kilometers. Visitors can also enjoy numerous hiking paths including the Trading Post Trail (2.2 km), Mount Vernon Creek Trail Loop (3.7 km), and Red Rocks and Morrison Slide Loop (5.3 km), among others.

Throughout its 85-year legacy, Red Rocks has hosted numerous legendary concerts. On August 26, 1964, The Beatles performed at the venue, with tickets selling for $6.60—an unprecedented price at the time. Following their performance, countless stars across all genres—including Sonny & Cher, Carpenters, Carole King, Depeche Mode, Jimi Hendrix, Rush, Grateful Dead, and many more—have graced its stage. Additionally, Red Rocks has been a site for over 20 live album recordings, solidifying its status as a premier venue for live music. In 1983, U2 launched “Under the Blood Red Sky” after a near-cancellation due to inclement weather, marking a pivotal moment in their career. Dave Matthews Band’s “Live at Red Rocks 8.15.95” in 1997 cemented the amphitheater’s reputation for live recordings, a trend that continues with current artists like John Butler Trio, Mumford & Sons, The Flaming Lips, and Vance Joy, among others.

This year, the amphitheater commemorates its anniversary with a storytelling campaign inviting fans to share their favorite Red Rocks memories via a dedicated website. Celebrations will continue throughout the 2026 season, featuring iconic artists and performances, including Widespread Panic's three consecutive sold-out shows from June 26-28, 2026; Deadrocks XII with Zeds Dead on July 2 and 3, 2026; Wynonna Judd and Melissa Etheridge with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra on August 2, 2026; and Brandi Carlile on September 11-13, 2026, among others.

About Visit Denver, The Convention & Visitors Bureau
Celebrating 117 years of promoting the Mile High City, Visit Denver is a nonprofit trade association partnered with the City of Denver to position it as a premier destination for conventions and leisure travel, driving economic growth, creating jobs, and raising taxes. In 2025, Denver welcomed over 37.6 million visitors, generating $10.5 billion in spending and supporting tens of thousands of jobs, making tourism one of the city’s most important industries. To learn more about Visit Denver or how tourism contributes to Denver, consider following Denver's social media channels for real-time updates on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, YouTube, and LinkedIn. For press inquiries or photography requests, please reach out to us.