Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Carved into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains just 15 miles southwest of Denver near the town of Morrison, Red Rocks Amphitheatre is widely regarded as the greatest outdoor concert venue on earth. A natural bowl formed between two towering sandstone monoliths — Ship Rock to the south and Creation Rock to the north — the open-air stage sits at 6,450 feet elevation and seats 9,525 guests. The Colorado landscape stretches in every direction: the Denver skyline shimmers to the east, and the Rockies rise to the west. No human engineer designed this setting. It took 300 million years of geology, and then the vision of a few determined Coloradans to make it a venue.

The rock formations at Red Rocks belong to the Fountain Formation, a sequence of sedimentary sandstone deposited roughly 300 million years ago during the Pennsylvanian Period when ancient seas repeatedly rose and fell across what is now Colorado. Rivers eroding the ancestral Rocky Mountains deposited material in vast alluvial fans that compressed into the stone visible today. The iron oxidation in the sandstone produces its signature rust-red color. During the Laramide Orogeny — the same tectonic event that built the modern Rockies, roughly 70 to 50 million years ago — these formations were dramatically uplifted and tilted, creating the near-vertical slabs that flank the stage. Ship Rock and Creation Rock each stand taller than Niagara Falls. Stage Rock, a smaller formation at the base of the bowl, completes the natural enclosure and contributes to the venue’s legendary acoustic properties.

The site has drawn performers since long before it had a permanent stage. Opera singer Mary Garden performed there in 1911 and declared, “Never in any opera house, the world over, have I found more perfect acoustic properties.” In 1927, Denver Parks Manager George Cranmer convinced the city to purchase the land from entrepreneur John Brisben Walker for $54,133. Construction of the permanent amphitheatre began in 1936, carried out by young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and funded in part through the Works Progress Administration. Lead architect Burnham F. Hoyt — then considered Colorado’s most highly regarded architect — designed seating terraces built from 800 tons of quarried stone reinforced with 30,000 pounds of steel. The project was expected to take two years; it took five. The amphitheatre was formally dedicated on June 15, 1941, with a ceremony that included Native American traditions and operatic selections performed by the Denver Symphony Orchestra.

Over the decades Red Rocks has become one of the most storied stages in live music history. The Beatles played here in August 1964. U2’s 1983 “Under a Blood Red Sky” concert was filmed here and became one of the best-selling concert videos ever recorded, with the performance of “Sunday Bloody Sunday” entering the permanent vocabulary of rock history. Igor Stravinsky conducted the Denver Symphony at Red Rocks in 1948. John Denver recorded multiple world-televised concerts here through the 1970s and 1980s. The Grateful Dead performed 20 times between 1978 and 1987. Blues Traveler has played every Fourth of July here since 1993. Widespread Panic has sold out the venue more than 72 times — more than any other act. Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay, Radiohead, and artists across every genre have recorded live albums and videos on this stage. Pollstar named Red Rocks the best small outdoor venue so many consecutive years that after the 11th award the magazine renamed the category the “Red Rocks Award” and retired the venue from competition. In 2021, Red Rocks was named the top-grossing and most-attended concert venue of any size, anywhere in the world.

Red Rocks is owned and operated by the City and County of Denver through Arts and Venues Denver. It was designated a Denver Landmark in 1973, and a National Historic Landmark in 2015. The Colorado Music Hall of Fame is located on the grounds, having opened in June 2015. Beyond concerts, the venue hosts Yoga on the Rocks, Film on the Rocks, and sunrise fitness sessions, and the surrounding 868-acre park offers hiking trails and wildlife viewing year-round.

Good to Know

• Ages: All ages for most events; age restrictions vary by show — check your specific event listing
• Bar: Full bar and concessions available at the venue; no outside alcohol permitted; sealed non-alcoholic beverages up to 32 oz. and personal food in clear bags (one gallon or less) are allowed
• Bag policy: Single-pocket clear bags up to 13” x 15” x 8”; small purses/fanny packs up to 6” x 9”; hydration packs up to 2L; no multi-pocket bags; all items must fit under seats (18” x 12”)
• Cameras: Personal point-and-shoot cameras without removable lenses generally permitted; no professional camera equipment, audio/video recording devices, GoPros, or 360-degree cameras (unless specifically authorized)
• Parking: On-site parking is available and included in most ticket purchases; lots open approximately 90 minutes before doors; do not park on Alameda Parkway, in Morrison, or along highway entrances — violators will be towed; RTD bus service from downtown Denver is strongly recommended to avoid traffic
• ADA: Wheelchair-accessible seating in Row 1 and Row 70; accessible parking in Top Circle Lot and Upper South Lot (valid disability placard required with registered owner present); continuous accessible shuttle from Upper South Lot; accessible restrooms at both top and bottom of amphitheatre; ASL interpreters and assistive listening devices available with 7 days’ advance notice at redrocksaccess@denvergov.org
• Prohibited items: Weapons, drones, marijuana, umbrellas, glass containers, aluminum cans, aerosol cans, animals (except service dogs), strollers, inflatables, and flow toys
• Weather: Mountain weather changes rapidly at elevation; bring layers and check forecasts; concerts proceed in most weather conditions