Here's Where You Can Find Free Live Music in Denver

Denver is home to many great venues, both large and small. Several offer free summer concert series, such as at Levitt Pavillion or City Park, while others accommodate music fans on a budget with no-cover shows in a variety of genres throughout the year.

Whether you want to throw down a blanket and enjoy a concert from the lawn or catch an intimate jazz show at a bar, there's a spot for you. Here are some of the best places in Denver to catch live music for free:

Ongoing Music Nights:

Appaloosa Grill A big shout-out to this survivor: Appaloosa Grill, a bar and restaurant on the 16th Street Mall, has been hosting shows almost nightly basis for more than two decades. It usually doesn't charge a cover, and bargain weekly residencies include Friends with Chuck on Mondays, jazz and hip-hop fusion artist Brant Williams on Tuesdays, and jazz trumpeter Gabe Mervine on Wednesdays. You can also catch a rotation of locals on the weekends, with genres varying between funk, soul, roots-rock and more.
El Chapultepec Piano Lounge at Dazzle Denver
1080 14th Street
Dazzle's location at the Denver Performing Arts Complex opened with a commitment to honor the rich, 87-year legacy of El Chapultepec, the jazz club known as "The Pec" before it closed in 2020. That commitment lives on at the upgraded location in the El Chapultepec Piano Lounge, which offers free happy hour and late-night jazz shows at least a few nights a week. The space also features the El Chapultepec Legacy Collection, paintings by Shay Guerrero honoring the original club and the deep influence of Chicano and Hispanic culture on Colorado's jazz scene, as detailed on the partnership's website.

Herb's
2057 Larimer Street
Blocks away from Coors Field is Herb's, the jazz club run by saxophonist Laura Newman. The venue features free jazz, blues, roc, and funk shows, among others, along with weekly residencies from a few scene regulars: jazz pianist and organist Vlad Girshevich on Mondays, trumpeter Gabe Mervine and the B3 Jazz Jam on Tuesdays, a funk jam on Wednesdays, and bassist Dave Randon on Thursdays. This has been a music lover's and player's paradise since the days when Jack Kerouac explored the streets of Denver.

Lincoln's Roadhouse
1201 South Pearl Street
Lincoln's Roadhouse has been our pick for the city's Best Blues Club several times in the past, and there's more than one reason why. From the great Cajun food to the lack of a cover on any given night and the unassuming stage by the entrance, this restaurant and blues venue has a lot to like — including some of the best local (and occasional touring) blues, rock and rockabilly artists around.

The Meadowlark
2701 Larimer Street
The Meadowlark's storied history includes appearances by Nathaniel Rateliff and the Lumineers, among many others.0 Today, the cozy underground space offers a free weekly jazz night on Mondays, karaoke nights on Tuesdays, and regular DJs and other shows with varying cover charges the rest of the week — sometimes on the outdoor patio, weather permitting.
Number Thirty Eight
3560 Chestnut Place
Number Thirty Eight is a restaurant and taproom boasting both an indoor and outdoor stage. The outdoor stage is particularly impressive, situated in front of a huge patio area and throwing free shows throughout the year, even during the colder months, while the indoor space features massive garage doors that are now required to be closed after 10 p.m. after a controversy with neighbors in 2023.

Roxy on Broadway
554 South Broadway
Since opening in 2019, Roxy on Broadway has become a staple on South Broadway, offering good food and free shows six days a week, from DJs and singer-songwriters to a wide range of larger bands. Those just starting to play out in Denver won't have to sell consignment tickets here, and there's a fun room to fill for those who have been playing for a while. The venue was our pick in the Best of Denver 2025 for the Best Free Concerts, in no small part because of its intimate, cozy and approachable nature. Two Moons Music Hall
2944 Larimer Street
Two Moons Music Hall books music six nights a week and offers a range of no-cover shows on weekdays. Open since last April, we named it the Best New Venue in the Best of Denver 2025; in addition to a great lineup, it offers food, a patio for the warm months, and a bright, airy atmosphere that provides a nice break from the usual dive. Expect to enjoy jazz, singer-songwriters, and DJs spinning disco and funk, among other genres.

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Denver loves its parks, especially when there's a free event like City Park Jazz.

City Park Jazz

Summer Series

City Park Jazz Summer Concert Series
City Park
Each summer, City Park Jazz hosts ten free concerts on the bandstand nestled between the Pavilion and Ferril Lake in City Park; the series features Colorado bands playing jazz, blues, salsa and more. The family-friendly concerts run every Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m.; this year's season opens June 1 with Blessing Bled Chimanga. Although City Park Jazz has been operating in its current form since 1986, the organization says it's rooted in a much older tradition of shows at the bandstand dating back more than 130 years.

Central Park Summer Concerts at Conservatory Green and Founders Green
8912 East 47th Avenue and 7601 East 29th Avenue
The MCA Central Park hosts regular summer concerts at both Conservatory Green and Founders Green, and they're always free and family-friendly. Each amphitheatre has a nice stage and lawn setup, with weekly two-hour shows that are typically within the funk, soul and jazz genres. The MoJaBlue Concert Series, held at Conservatory Green, starts at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays from June 12 to July 31 this year, while those at Founders Green take place on select Saturdays from June to August.

The Orchard Town Center
14697 Delaware Street, Westminster
Each Saturday from July 19 to to August 16, the Orchard Town Center will be hosting its free, all-ages summer concert series. The lineup includes the Petty Nicks Experience, the Long Run, Buckstein, Wash Park Band and That Eighties Band. See more information on the Center's website.
Levitt Pavilion Levitt Pavilion, which sits atop Ruby Hill Park, offers a combination of free and ticketed concerts. We named it the Best Free Summer Concert Series last year for its forty-to-fifty free shows every summer, as well as its commitments to community, inclusion and a mentorship program for young BIPOC musicians, among other initiatives. Levitt announced its free concert lineup for 2025 a few weeks ago; it includes appearances from Flobots, DeVotchKa and BALTHVS, as well as a wide range of other live music events.