These Are the Best Music Venues in Fort Collins

Fort Collins, home to FoCoMX, the "biggest little music festival in America," is a genuine music town that can rival the best in the country for its support of the local scene. Anchored by a tight-knit community of musicians and artists through the Fort Collins Musicians Association, the area is always vibing to great music across every imaginable genre. Fort Collins residents simply love to go out for live music, many doing so several nights a week, and there's no lack of opportunities.

Just a drive up I-25 from Denver, FoCo's thriving music scene is supported by a seemingly endless network of bars, breweries, restaurants and venues that showcase the best in both local and national touring music. Discover your next favorite music venue in Fort Collins below:
Ace Gillett's Lounge
239 South College Avenue, Fort Collins
Celebrating community through food, drinks and music since 1923, Ace Gillett's is a true Fort Collins institution located in the cozy underground lounge beneath the charming, historic Armstrong Hotel. Known for its handcrafted cocktails and extensive vinyl collection, Ace Gillett's provides the perfect jazz-club experience, anchored on Sunday nights by renowned pianist Mark Sloniker. With a regular calendar of groovy jazz piano and an alternating cast of DJs spinning vinyl every Friday and Saturday night from the club's vast record collection, an evening of music at Ace Gillett's is a distinct Fort Collins experience.
The Aggie
204 South College Avenue, Fort Collins
With the gritty ambiance of a cool dive bar in a space large enough to hold 650 rocking, dancing and drinking music fans, the Aggie is a treasured venue in the heart of Old Town Fort Collins that is known as FoCo's premier independent music venue. Located in a prime location on College Avenue in a 100-year-old building that was originally a movie theater, the Aggie has a rich history of incredible shows from touring national acts as well as a genuine commitment to showcasing local musicians on a big stage. Anything goes at the Aggie, from rap to raves, from indie rock to comedy shows, from jam bands to cowpunk. Nearly every night of the week the Aggie is hosting music worth checking out.
The Armory
314 East Mountain Avenue, Fort Collins
The Armory is a historic Fort Collins locale, repurposed into a premier listening room that is treasured by Fort Collins residents. A seated venue with a 200-person capacity and a state-of-the-art sound system to complement the high-quality acoustics of the room, the Armory provides an intimate setting for some of the best music to be found in northern Colorado. Established and supported by the local non-profit Bohemian Foundation, the venue is committed to supporting the local scene by regularly pairing local acts with national touring bands. It's also a revered event space and is host to this year's FoCoMA Peer Music Awards.
The Atrium Music Lounge
120 1/2 West Laurel Street B, Fort Collins
If you're looking for an intimate music setting with a groovy vibe and sleek artsy decor, you need go no further than the Atrium. With a crowd cap of just 100 people, the Atrium is a place to get up close and personal with your favorite local musician or band. Located on Laurel Avenue just downstairs from the Alley Cat Coffeehouse, and just a drumstick toss away from the CSU campus, the Atrium is newly designed and under new ownership as of October. The Atrium offers a versatile space for live music, burlesque performances, dinner parties, karaoke, open mic nights, and private event rentals. With a focus on intimate, inclusive and community-driven experiences, the Atrium hosts a regular lineup of local and touring musicians across all genres from indie folk to post-hardcore.
The Coast
254 Linden Street, Fort Collins
The Coast, a live-music spot near Old Town Center formerly known as the Downtown Artery, has been providing a healthy dose of live music in Fort Collins for many years as an arts hub and creative space. The large, dedicated bar area out front offers food, drinks and a space to converse or browse the merch table; through the black curtains, the Coast opens up into an impressive music space in back with plenty of room to dance and an excellent sound system. Under new ownership with Music by Masses, the club is developing loyalty with a membership program called "Masses Passes," which offers drink specials, unlimited access to shows, discounts and more. The Coast features music across all genres with a lineup of both local and national acts.
The Crown Pub
134 South College Avenue, Fort Collins
The basement lounge of Fort Collins' popular watering hole and restaurant Crown Pub heats up with weekly live jazz performances every Sunday night. Whether it's various iterations of a jazz trio or a solo musician at the keys or on the horn, the subterranean vibe is comfortably cool. There's always a dedicated group of local fans sipping hand-crafted cocktails while grooving on every arpeggio, while other patrons can comfortably sit and chat with friends or even enjoy a late-night snack while the talented local jazz players provide the perfect background to a chill evening.
The Forge Publick House
255 Old Firehouse Alley, Fort Collins
A neighborhood pub that is true to its name, the Forge is a community hub that proudly supports local musicians playing original music in a warm setting, with a crackling fire on cold nights and a rotating tap of eighteen beers and ciders. Two popular acts anchor the pub's music calendar with regular Sunday shows, and additional acts are added on Friday and Saturday nights. The Forge also hosts a traditional Irish music drop-in session every Monday. The pub has an outdoor garden for warmer months, and as part of its support for the local music scene, it serves as the "green room" for bands during the FoCoMX music festival in April.
Gilded Goat Brewing Company
132 West Mountain Avenue, Fort Collins
Quality craft beer and indie music are synonymous in Fort Collins, and the Gilded Goat is a popular brew pub in the heart of Old Town that regularly hosts live music, as well as the local Geeks Who Drink trivia night. The Goat stages music across all genres, from jazz to folk, bluegrass and electronic with a strong emphasis on supporting and promoting local talent. A regular calendar of shows is featured on Saturday nights, and the music can be heard out on the dog-friendly biergarten, weather permitting.
Lucky Joe's Sidewalk Saloon
25 Old Town Square, Fort Collins
Walking through Town Center in Fort Collins, it seems like there's always a crowd spilling out of local haunt Lucky Joe's, especially during the warm weather. Billed as a friendly Irish pub located in an old-time Western saloon, Lucky Joe's has been a mainstay in the Fort for many years. The black-and-white photos on the wall from the town's past indicate it has been a spot for locals to kick up their heels for nearly as long as the town has been around. And the classic old piano backing the stage evokes an old-time saloon player. As host to a weekly open mic on Sundays, Lucky Joe's is a spot for indie musicians to try out new songs with an appreciative crowd. The pub also hosts Celtic music every Wednesday night.
The Lyric
1209 North College Avenue, Fort Collins
Eclectic is the only way to describe Fort Collins' spectacularly quirky indie movie theater/art gallery/bar/music venue the Lyric, which is located just north of Old Town on College Avenue. The Lyric hosts music in numerous formats all year round on four different stages, including the Mothership Theater and the unique Outdoor Screen Stage in the vast backyard garden which hosted this year's 53:14 Music Video Challenge sponsored by FoCoMA. Acts also perform on the Patio Stage and Lobby Stage, where the Lyric spotlights a local musician each time the venue hosts its regular music trivia nights. From the grounds, which are filled with myriad sculptures, to a diverse calendar of shows, such as Christmas Karaoke and Blue Stocking Burlesque Valentine's Show, there is always a musically entertaining event awaiting visitors at the Lyric.
Magic Rat Live Music
111 Chestnut Street, Fort Collins
Bruce Springsteen fans will recognize the name of Magic Rat Live Music, a classic music bar located inside the elegant Elizabeth Hotel in Old Town Fort Collins. And visitors to Magic Rat will discover an added connection, with the keyboard signed by the entire E Street Band as a piece of art on the back wall below the lyrics to "Jungleland." The hip hotel bar along Firehouse Alley has a regular Wednesday-to-Saturday line-up of national acts and local artists, and there's never a cover. With artsy lounge furniture, music-themed art on the walls, and a diverse music calendar, an evening at the Rat is a must for music fans in Fort Collins.
The Neighbor
144 South Mason Street, Fort Collins
A relative newcomer to the downtown FoCo music scene, the Neighbor is a cafe and coffee bar that becomes a classy event space and music venue in the evening. With the newly designed space in a 1930s-era building along Mason Street, the Neighbor features a wide-open and well-lit room with refined, elegant decor that can adapt to diverse crowds. The stage near the back is set apart with a divider that enables dining and socializing while the music fills the room. The Neighbor has hosted community yoga evenings, small intimate concerts, business pop-ups, and a regular event called Bluegrass Mondays. As word gets out, the Neighbor is set to be an important new player in the music ecosystem.
The R Bar and Lounge
107 East Laurel Street, Fort Collins
An alternative bar for an alternative crowd, R Bar is Fort Collins' primary LGBTQ+ hangout with a great collection of music nights including karaoke, drag shows and open mics. More than just a venue, R Bar considers itself a community space, which it honors with a monthly "commUnity night" to expand opportunities for musicians and artists who are LGBTQ+ as well as allies, providing a safe place to play. This event, which occurs on the first Thursday of the month, features a local musician and is followed by a dance party with one of R Bar's resident DJs. R Bar is also a popular drag venue featuring live music and burlesque performances. Salt Road Brewing
321 Old Firehouse Alley, Fort Collins
Salt Road is a local brewpub in downtown Fort Collins that features "world beer styles brewed from locally sourced Colorado ingredients," and it extends that local focus by featuring live music three nights a week. Drawing from several genres with an emphasis on jam bands, Salt Road has a consistent schedule of bluegrass, rock, Americana, honky tonk, and outlaw country. The pub is also home to Tumbledown Shack, a Grateful Dead tribute band that plays the third Thursday of every month. Shows at Salt Road are always free, and all ages are welcome.
Sunset Lounge
111 Chestnut Street, Fort Collins
The Sunset Lounge, located on the top floor of the renowned Elizabeth Hotel, is the perfect place for cocktails and jazz music year-round with rooftop views of Old Town. The Sunset offers a swanky yet unpretentious vibe with comfy chairs and a bill of two well-known local jazz pianists. Music is offered on evenings from Thursday to Sunday, with the highly talented Spencer Zweifel and Owen Ostermueller tickling the ivories amidst gorgeous views. Jazz afficionados will appreciate the ways these artists riff on familiar tunes, and listeners can focus in or simply let the cool sounds swirl in the background amidst warm conversation and spectacular scenery.
Surfside 7
238 Linden Street, Fort Collins
Home to legendary Colorado punk rocker Jon Snodgrass, Surfside 7 is the downtown Fort Collins dive bar with the raucous loud music you're looking for when you want to cut loose. A local favorite just off Old Town Square, Surfside is a perfect place to eat, drink, and rock. With a scaled-down stage that allows the crowd to get up close to the acts, alongside an amped-up sound system that fills the room, Surfside showcases everything from traveling hardcore bands to karaoke on Wednesday nights. No matter the night, there seems to always be a wall of sound pouring out the front door.
Swing Station
3311 Co Rd 54G, Laporte
The Swing Station is northern Colorado's friendliest, coolest lil' honky tonk, hosting such amazing acts as Corb Lunk, Big Sandy and his Fly-Rite Boys, the Hooten Hallers, and the Choice City Stomp Festival. With a kind, helpful staff excited for music and a good time, Swing Station feels like home for those on the stage as well as those in the crowd. With a hoppin' dance floor inside and a cool outdoor patio for the warmer months, it's the place to kick up your heels in NoCo. Swing Station is just a few minutes north of Fort Collins in Laporte.
Washington's
132 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins
With a world-class sound system and gorgeous theater design around a wide-open dance floor with relaxed seating upstairs, Washington's is the crown jewel of music venues in Fort Collins. Located in a classic sandstone building that dates to 1903, Washington's is a historic part of Old Town, and its 900-person capacity with a large balcony and two full-service bars can accommodate an incredible array of national touring acts and local musicians. Supported by the Bohemian Foundation, Washington is a venue valued by musicians and fans alike as a place to rock out in style. Colorado acts Yonder Mountain String Band and Wildermiss are examples of local talent gone national that will return to play Washington's in 2025.
Wolverine Farm Publick House
316 Willow Street, Fort Collins
The brainchild of Fort Collins writer and publisher Todd Simmons, Wolverine Farm Publick House is a nonprofit, coffee shop, bar, indie bookstore, publishing company, art gallery, event space and hip spot for an eclectic blend of captivating local music. As part of its commitment to local artists, the Farm has a seasonal artists residency program that supports four musicians each season with weekly Wednesday spotlights. The funky building on Willow Street offers an outdoor patio garden experience when the weather is warm, and it also has an upstairs event space available for concerts, art shows, artist showcases, lectures and presentations and more.

When the summer months arrive in northern Colorado, the Fort Collins music scene expands to a vast number of cherished outdoor venues including Mishawaka Amphitheatre in Bellvue, the Botanic Garden and the Old Town Square, which features Thursday Night Live, a summer-long calendar of free concerts on the Square sponsored by Bohemian Foundation.