Levitt Pavilion
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The biggest beer festival in America is continuing to evolve and try to adapt to a post-pandemic world. Now, the Great American Beer Festival has announced that it is moving outdoors in 2026, leaving the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver for Levitt Pavilion in south Denver.
The Brewers Association’s signature public-facing event, GABF is scheduled to take place this year on Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11. This is the first time in the 43-year history of the festival that it will be outside. The event was founded in Boulder in 1982, moved to Denver in 1984, and has been held at the Colorado Convention Center since 2000.
“The Great American Beer Festival has always reflected where American craft beer is headed,” says Ann Obenchain, the BA’s vice president of marketing and communications, in a press release. “Taking the festival outdoors lets us reimagine what’s possible and we’re excited to bring fresh energy to the festival and provide an experience that feels uniquely Colorado.”
GABF is the biggest beer festival in the country, featuring thousands of beers from hundreds of breweries, and the judging of beers in more than 100 categories. Through most of the 2000s, it included four sessions running from Thursday through Saturday.
Brewers Association
In 2025, due to declining attendance and changing consumer habits, the BA dropped one of its Saturday sessions. Post-COVID, after the 2020 and 2021 festivals were canceled, attendance dropped from about 60,000 to 30,000-40,000. In recent years, the association has expanded the conference selections to include “beyond beer” choices, such as non-alcoholic beverages, ready-to-drink cocktails, spirits, seltzers and ciders.
“This isn’t just a venue change for us, it’s an evolution,” Obenchain says. “We’ve listened to our attendees and we’re creating an outdoor festival that invites people to explore, discover, and celebrate craft beer in a completely new way — one that’s all about gathering your friends, finding your spot on the lawn, and enjoying great beer and good times together.”
Levitt Pavilion is a nonprofit outdoor amphitheater in Ruby Hill Park, near South Santa Fe Drive. Tickets will go on sale beginning in June and start at $60. The BA has not announced any contingency plans for inclement weather.
