Red Rocks Amphitheatre Reopening in April at 2,500-Person Capacity

The state granted the venue a variance.

March 30, 2021

In normal times, Red Rocks can hold up to 9,500 people. Jacqueline Collins

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Red Rocks Amphitheatre has been closed to most large-scale concerts since last spring, but the storied venue announced on March 30 that it will reopen in late April with 2,500-capacity concerts, after the state granted a variance to current COVID restrictions.

That's just in time for Red Rocks to mark its eightieth anniversary: The amphitheater was formally dedicated in June 1941.

The venue, which is located in Morrison but owned by the City of Denver and operated by Denver Arts & Venues, could hold up to 9,500 people at a pre-pandemic sold-out show. It hosted a few 175-person shows last summer, including performances by the Colorado Symphony.

Most of the rest of last summer's concert season was postponed until this year, but promoters including AEG Presents Rocky Mountains have already moved some of those rescheduled shows — Glass Animals, Kaleo, Russ, Lord Huron and David Gray, for example — to 2022, while also canceling others by Joe Russo's Almost Dead and Maren Morris.

Still, there will be music at Red Rocks this summer. "We’re so excited about the imminent return of live music to #RedRocksCO, and look forward to welcoming you back for a fantastic 80th anniversary summer," Red Rocks posted on social media today.

After that, Live Nation announced that jamtronica band Lotus will headline Red Rocks on Friday, April 23, and Saturday, April 24. Tickets ($45 to $69.50) go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, April 2. For more information, go to redrocksonline.com.

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