“We’re beyond excited to bring the Outside Festival and Summit back to Denver in 2025,” says Mayor Mike Johnston in an announcement. “Last year’s festival was a resounding success, and we’re thrilled to once again spotlight Denver’s vibrant community and culture as one of the nation’s best cities to work, play, live and visit.”
The first-ever Outside Festival took place in 2024, after Outside Inc. — which had moved to Colorado from New Mexico after Robin Thurston purchased the company — created the event. Conor Hall, who'd just been appointed as the new director of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, jumped at the chance to help sponsor the fest, since the Outdoor Retailer show's 2022 return to Salt Lake City had created a programming gap. (The Outdoor Retailer show had started in Salt Lake City in the '80s, then moved to Denver in 2017.)
The inaugural festival took place the first weekend of June and brought a stellar lineup of musicians as well as food trucks, family activities, film screenings and vendors to Civic Center Park. The festival later announced that 18,000 people had attended, generating $16 million for the local economy.
Outside Festival Denver Lineup
Headliners for the festival are Lord Huron (on June 1) and Khruangbin (on May 31). A regular at Red Rocks, Lord Huron is an indie-rock band whose album Strange Trails went platinum. Khruangbin also has a big fanbase in Denver, and played an incredible, sold-out set at Red Rocks last year.On Saturday, May 31, the lineup will also include Sylvan Esso, Neal Francis, Husbands, Squeaky Feet and Brothers of Brass before Khruangbin brings its chill, enigmatic grooves to the stage.
On Sunday, June 1, there will be Trampled by Turtles, Waxahatchee, Hazlett, the Copper Children and Cole Scheifele.
More Offerings
Aside from live music, the Outside Festival will again be screening adventure films, as well as offering climbing experiences, athlete panels and signings, yoga classes, gear demos, workshops, a kids' zone and food vendors. Before the festival, the Outside Summit will bring together more than 500 leaders in the outdoor-rec industry on Thursday, May 29, and Friday, May 30, for a massive networking event with speakers ranging from Hall to Senator John Hickenlooper to Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix and CEO of Powder Mountain.“Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy accounts for $66 billion annually, and is a core part of what makes our city and state so successful and vibrant," says Hall. "Bringing this event back to Colorado cements our place as a leader in this industry, and we’re thrilled to see everyone this spring.”
Although Outside recently laid off twenty employees on the editorial, product, marketing, sales and finance teams (eight of them in Colorado), the company attributes that move to the addition of Inntopia to the Outside portfolio, and says it will not affect the festival. "There won't be any specific experiential impacts to the Outside Festival," a company spokesperson notes, "but with the integration of Inntopia into Outside's platform, travelers heading to the Festival and Summit will have the option to book their travel directly through Inntopia, and Outside+ members will receive exclusive benefits for doing so."
Governor Jared Polis and Mayor Mike Johnston welcomed the inaugural Outside Festival in 2024.
Brad Kaminski/Outside Inc.
Tickets to Outside Festival in Denver
You can get single-day tickets or full-festival tickets. Catch Khruangbin, Sylvan Esso, and Neal Francis on Saturday, May 31, or groove to Lord Huron, Trampled by Turtles, and Waxahatchee on Sunday, June 1.Get more information at outsidefestival.com.
*Capital One cardholders, including the REI Co-op® Mastercard®, can get early-bird pricing any time they buy.
