Chelsey Dequaine-Jerabek
Audio By Carbonatix
Gate 13 at Folsom Field is the path to hell.
At least, it was on Aug. 22 before Rüfüs Du Sol was set to take the stage.
We hadn’t planned to enter at gate 13, but an employee with a megaphone was directing concert-goers to the gate, promising us “much shorter lines” to enter the venue.
After a 25-minute wait in line, we entered. Knowing Rufus would take the stage soon, we walked inside the bowl to get a better idea of where our section was.
That’s when chaos unfolded.
Bodies got closer and closer. To my left, a very young, seemingly intoxicated person stumbled against a wall, dropped their phone, and fell into their friends who attempted to calm them down. At the same time, someone shouted “Yo! Emergency! We need to get through!” as the person following them, holding their hand, giggled. Clearly an attempt to get past the growing mass at the next gate intersection.
Bodies kept getting tighter. Closer yet.
Then our feet couldn’t move. Our bodies swayed in directions. My eyesight was consumed by people all around me. No one could move. Yelling began. “What is happening?” one person yelled. Then another shouted, “This is not okay!”
Although relatively small by the numbers, this was a crowd surge, easily large enough to be terrifying and dangerous.
I had never experienced this in my life. As much as I tried to assure myself that it would pass and we would get out of this, headlines flashed in my brain of the eight deaths at the Travis Scott set at Astroworld Music Festival five years ago.
After about 20 minutes inside the surge, we finally were pushed to an opening.
My legs were shaking, but my body was frozen – afraid to keep moving in case the same experience waited for me at the next gate intersection – and my brain was debating whether we should bail on the concert completely. We found a path down the next tunnel to get out of the bowl, where a sliver of an opening was created by venue security standing arm in arm, creating space for those trying to exit.
Then we made our way to section 105, where at least three people were seen projectile-vomiting. Some concertgoers were carried by friends while their feet dragged, leaning against walls as their eyes were closed. Others had their heads buried in their hands as they sat off to the side, looking ready to pass out.
All of this happened before Rufus even went on stage.
Rufus du Sol at Folsom Field in Boulder on Aug. 22, 2026.
Chelsey Dequaine-Jerabek
Sadly, the venue experience detracted from an otherwise energetic, positive review of the sold-out Rüfüs Du Sol concert. The band said it hadn’t played Boulder since 2014 at the Fox Theatre. Quite the difference going from 600 people at the Fox to roughly 45,000 people this past weekend. This also was one of their final shows before a reported multi-year break.
During the show, the band commented how much they love playing in Colorado, and that Red Rocks Amphitheatre is one of their favorite venues in the universe. The set had bangers like “On My Knees” and the hit “Innerbloom,” which was complete with fireworks. The lights were impressive, Tyrone Lindqvist’s voice was as soothing and smooth as ever, and the cameraman filming the set for those massive screens deserves a raise for their work circling each band member, constantly moving around the stage.
It added a lot to the show’s production — and helped us try to forget the unruly crowds.
Uhh… watch out for “pinchpoints,” I guess?
It can’t be ignored any longer: Folsom Field has a crowd control problem.
Steve Hurlbert, director of strategic communication and spokesperson for the Division of Public Safety at CU Boulder, says they received some emails about the crowd surge, but “nothing super widespread.”
“We get more complaints at a football game around the student section than we have for the concert,” Hurlbert says.
Hurlbert tells Westword that safety is a paramount concern whenever there’s an event at Folsom Field; he doesn’t have an exact staff count, but says Folsom is overstaffed for concerts. However, he acknowledges that Folsom is still a 100-plus-year-old venue with known “pinchpoints,” and recommends using the university’s Text for Assistance Line (720-812-1769) to report any safety issues that can be responded to in real time.
That is, if you aren’t so tightly packed against surrounding bodies that you can access your phone, which I could not.
I wasn’t the only sardine who felt the packing pressure, either.
The crowd was estimated at 45,000 for the sold-out Rufus du Sol concert on Aug. 22, 2026, at Folsom Field in Boulder.
Chelsey Dequaine-Jerabek
What concert-goers are saying on social media
Not every concertgoer had this experience, and I’m thankful for that. Still, it’s not the first time safety at Folsom Field has come up lately. Attendees of the Aug. 22 show spoke up with their concerns online, as well.
In the Facebook group Denver EDM Fam, Megan Gassman said:
“Experienced crowd crush tonight while walking around the bowl trying to find a seat. It was extremely unsafe. No security whatsoever to direct traffic. My feet weren’t on the ground for a minute as I was crushed in every direction. Gate 8.”
On various Instagram posts, fans also spoke up.
@eanthomastafoya said:
“The crowd control was downright dangerous. Fights, pushing, trampled people.”
@brettforrestofficial said:
“Thought there was going to be a crowd surge getting to the seats. Definitely felt oversold or poorly planned. Great show apart from that though.”
@christianod4444 said:
“Worst crowd and worst security in show biz. Please don’t ever go there again.”
@kristinwearshair said:
“Folsom Field has such bad vibes every single time. Rufus is magical and deserves that magic. Please stop booking folsom, artists. Real fans despise it. Please go back to Dick’s Sporting Goods Stadium, or Red Rocks. And might I suggest 18 or 21 and up ONLY.”
@jhousesrt8 said:
“Rufus was amazing, crowd was WACK. Worst ran venue I’ve experienced.”
@ashmarie714 said:
“Crowd pushed me into a security guard who proceeded to punch me so that was fun.”
