Concerts

Photos: Carlos Santana gets sentimental at Red Rocks

If this really is Santana's last lap through the venue for a while, Denver got a fitting goodbye.
By Brandon Johnson
Santana performed live at Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado, on August 24.
Carlos Santana's breakout moment came at Woodstock in 1969, with a blistering, improvised set that included the now-iconic "Soul Sacrifice," before the band had released its debut album.

Brandon Johnson for Westword
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Carlos Santana brought his Oneness Tour to Red Rocks on Monday, Aug. 24, capping a third and final stand at the venue this year with the kind of guitar-driven communion that only Red Rocks seems to bring together.

Decades into his career, his tone is still instantly recognizable, cutting through the Colorado night as it has since Woodstock. The set moved fluidly between Latin-rock classics that built his legend and newer material, proving the catalog still has the teeth for a live performance. For a run that started with two nights back in the summer, this final Red Rocks show played like a proper send-off, made of equal parts nostalgia and celebration.

If this really is Santana’s last lap through the venue for a while, Denver got a fitting goodbye. See photos from the show below.

Santana performed live at Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado, on August 24.
His 1970 album “Abraxas” and 1969’s self-titled debut are both in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Brandon Johnson for Westword

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Santana performed live at Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado, on August 24.
Songs like “Black Magic Woman,” “Oye Como Va” and “Evil Ways” turned early Santana albums into Billboard mainstays.

Brandon Johnson for Westword

Santana performed live at Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado, on August 24.
Santana’s sound fuses Latin rhythm, blues, rock and jazz, and he’s often credited as one of the earliest architects of “world music” as a commercial genre.

Brandon Johnson for Westword

Santana performed live at Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado, on August 24.
Santana’s family relocated to San Francisco in the early 1960s, where he soon formed the Santana Blues Band.

Brandon Johnson for Westword

Santana performed live at Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado, on August 24.
In 2026, the Recording Academy gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades of genre-blending influence.

Brandon Johnson for Westword

Santana performed live at Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado, on August 24.
The Oneness Tour, which brought him to Red Rocks this year, paired him with The Doobie Brothers for most dates.

Brandon Johnson for Westword

Concertgoers dancing to Santana perform live at Red Rocks on August 24.
Fans were dancing and grooving all night long.

Brandon Johnson for Westword

Concertgoers dancing to Santana perform live at Red Rocks on August 24.
Concertgoers packed Red Rocks early.

Brandon Johnson for Westword

Santana performed live at Red Rocks in Morrison, Colorado, on August 24.
Carlos Santana was born July 20, 1947, in Autlán de Navarro, Mexico. Nearly 80 years later, he’s still headlining Red Rocks.

Brandon Johnson for Westword

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Brandon Johnson has been a freelance photographer for Denver Westword since 2018. In his role, Brandon captures and documents local events and concerts across the Denver metro area. His previous photography work includes contributing to Live Nation Colorado, 303 Magazine and Alive Coverage. While attending the University of Arkansas, he discovered his passion for photography through frequent visits to a local music venue and working for the school newspaper. www.bjohnsonxar.com

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