DENVER – September 10, 2026 -- Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre is celebrating 85 years since its official grand opening gala on June 15, 1941, an event broadcast nationally by CBS and reviewed in Time Magazine.
The venue's sandstone origins stretch back 300 million years
Colorado's rising and falling seas once left behind the sandy beaches that hardened into the rock formations enveloping the amphitheatre's stage. The land was traditional territory of the Ute, Cheyenne and Arapahoe peoples before the City of Denver purchased 675 acres in 1927. Construction began in 1935 under the Morrison Civilian Conservation Corps Camp, with 500 CCC men spending four years building the venue before its 1941 completion.
Billboard and Pollstar ranked Red Rocks among the world's top venues in December 2025
Billboard named it the No. 2 most-attended venue in the United States, while Pollstar Magazine called it the best-attended amphitheatre in the world. Rolling Stone had already named Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre the No. 1 "Hottest Music Venue in the Country" in April 2023. Pollstar previously honored the venue as best small outdoor venue 11 times before renaming its annual prize the "Red Rocks Award" in 1999 and removing the venue from contention.
The Beatles played Red Rocks in 1964 for tickets priced at $6.60
The August 26, 1964 show was the only stop on the band's tour that failed to sell out. U2's June 5, 1983 performance, nearly cancelled due to weather, became the concert film "Under the Blood Red Sky." Dave Matthews Band followed in 1997 with "Live at Red Rocks 8.15.95," part of more than 20 album recordings made at the venue over the decades.
Visitors can climb 193 steps or walk 2.7 miles across the amphitheatre's seating
The venue's 9,525 hand-carved seats total roughly 2.7 miles end to end. A newly renovated Visitor Center houses historical images, performer archives and the Red Rocks Hall of Fame, while nearby trails include the 1.4-mile Trading Post Trail and the 3.3-mile Red Rocks and Morrison Slide Loop.
The 2026 season includes Widespread Panic's 76th through 78th consecutive sold-out shows
The band plays June 26-28, 2026, followed by Deadrocks XII with Zeds Dead on July 2-3. Wynonna Judd and Melissa Etheridge perform with the Colorado Symphony on August 2, with Brandi Carlile set for September 11-13 and Andrea Bocelli for September 20-21. Denver has launched a storytelling campaign inviting fans to submit their own Red Rocks memories through a dedicated landing page for possible inclusion in the anniversary celebration.