Live Music, Comedy, Dance & Theater in Colorado
Live performing arts across Colorado, from Front Range cities to mountain towns: local music, comedy, dance, and theater hosted by the people who live and perform here.
My'StroE at Blucifer's First Rodeo (Illegal Pete's)
๐ Jul 24, 2026, 7:00 PM
๐ Illegal Pete's, Denver, CO
My'StroE brings a full live band to Illegal Pete's as part of Blucifer's First Rodeo, a four-day Denver music festival running July 23-26, 2026. The set pairs My'StroE's original material, rooted in hip-hop and soul, with a locked-in band featuring bass, lead guitar, keys, and drums, plus a special appearance from DylaNovus, a Denver artist whose recent 'Deja Vu' release featured My'StroE on saxophone. Illegal Pete's, the beloved Denver burrito-and-beer institution, hosts this July 24th set at 7PM as one of the festival's official artist showcase slots.
Jackson Cloud at The Fox Theatre
๐ Jul 24, 2026, 8:00 PM
๐ The Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St, Boulder, CO 80302
Jackson Cloud headlines The Fox Theatre in Boulder on July 24th, joined by Ok I Love You, Junglefowl, and Argentym. Jackson Cloud has been building a following across Boulder and Denver venues, and this show marks a step up to The Fox, one of the Front Range's most established live music rooms, situated on University Hill and booked by Z2 Entertainment. Argentym brings garage rock from Boulder, while Ok I Love You plays Colorado atmospheric emo, making for a bill rooted in the local independent rock scene.
Pink Lady Monster at Skylark (Blucifer's First Rodeo)
๐ Jul 24, 2026, 11:00 PM
๐ Skylark, Denver, CO
Pink Lady Monster plays Skylark on July 24 as an official artist of Blucifer's First Rodeo, a multi-day festival running July 23-26, 2026. The Denver band released their debut LP PONK in 2025 and have built a following on the Front Range through a run of idiosyncratic live sets that lean into costume, character, and a self-described 'ponk' sound. Their Skylark slot starts at 11pm, making this a late-night set for people already deep in the festival weekend.
El Salvaje at Underground Music Showcase 2026
๐ Jul 25, 2026, 12:00 AM
๐ RiNo, Denver, CO
El Salvaje, a vinyl selector originally from Querรฉtaro, Mรฉxico and based in Colorado, plays as an official artist at the Underground Music Showcase, Denver's long-running multi-day independent music festival. The festival spreads across the RiNo neighborhood July 24-26, featuring 150-plus national and discovery artists across three days. El Salvaje brings a deep Latin vinyl practice rooted in cumbia, salsa, Afro-Latin funk, and world grooves to a stage at one of the Front Range's most established independent music events.
iZCALLi at Underground Music Showcase 2026
๐ Jul 25, 2026, 12:00 AM
๐ RiNo Art District, Denver, CO
iZCALLi, Denver's genre-bending rock band led by Miguel Aviรฑa, brings their fusion of Latin-tinged rock and fuzz anthems to the Underground Music Showcase across RiNo's outdoor stages and venues. The band weaves between English and Spanish in a sound the band describes as a molotov of nostalgia and euphoria, drawing from Latin tradition and rebellious rock spirit in equal measure. UMS is Denver's largest and longest-running music festival, spreading 200-plus performances across a dozen venues in the RiNo Art District over three days.
Yonnas & Yearning at Blucifers First Rodeo
๐ Jul 25, 2026, 7:00 PM
๐ Skylark, Denver, CO
Yonnas & Yearning, the Denver dream-pop outfit led by แฎแแฐ (Yonnas) and signed to Obliterati Records, plays a showcase set at Skylark as part of Blucifers First Rodeo, a four-day festival running July 23-26, 2026. The band, whose self-described mission is 'dream pop for Black people,' brings together vocalist-led songwriting with a full live band including bass, electric guitar, drums, and keys. This July 25 set is one of the group's official artist appearances across the festival weekend.
Julian St. Nightmare at Blucifer's First Rodeo (Hi-Dive)
๐ Jul 25, 2026, 11:00 PM
๐ Hi-Dive, 7 South Broadway, Denver, CO
Julian St. Nightmare returns to Hi-Dive as a three-piece for their slot at Blucifer's First Rodeo, a multi-day festival running July 23-26, 2026. The band has been a fixture in Denver's post-punk DIY scene for years, playing Hi-Dive repeatedly and building a following that turns up for crowd-surfing, noise, and late-night energy. Their 11pm set on the 25th comes with new material the band is debuting, making this a meaningful moment in their ongoing run at one of the Baker neighborhood's most respected independent venues. Hi-Dive, located at 7 South Broadway, has been the setting for some of JSN's most-talked-about shows in the local scene.
Sunset Live! at The Terrace at Avon Pavilion
๐ Jul 26, 2026, 6:00 PM
๐ The Terrace at Avon Pavilion, Nottingham Park, Avon, CO
Every Sunday evening from late May through Labor Day weekend, Sunset Live! brings live music to The Terrace at Avon Pavilion in Nottingham Park, Avon's central outdoor gathering space. The series runs 6:00 to 8:00 PM, timed to the long mountain evenings, and draws a relaxed crowd of locals and visitors settling in for the week's quieter end. Orchard Creek Band opens the 2025 season on May 24, with performers rotating through the summer. It's a series the Town of Avon produces as part of a broader calendar of free outdoor programming that has made the park a summertime anchor for the Eagle Valley.
Open Level House Class with Nanz and Ky at Mi Chantli
๐ Jul 27, 2026, 7:30 PM
๐ Mi Chantli, Boulder, CO
This summer, Anna (Nanz) Gunderson and Ky take over the Monday evening House class at Mi Chantli, the Boulder studio dedicated to dance education and community building. The two instructors alternate weeks through August 31, each bringing a distinct approach to the form, with three collaboration sessions woven into the schedule. Whether you've been training at Mi Chantli all year or are stepping in for the first time, the class runs at an open level, 7:30 to 8:45 PM each Monday. Nanz is a Denver-based dancer active in the House and breaking scene who has competed at events including Break Down the House and Skillz Talk; Ky is a fellow Mi Chantli collaborator. Registration is through Zipper; spots are limited.
Jazz in the Park at Festival Park
๐ Jul 29, 2026, 6:30 PM
๐ Festival Park, Downtown Castle Rock, CO
Every Wednesday evening this summer, live jazz fills Festival Park in Downtown Castle Rock from 6:30 to 8pm. Castle Rock Music, a family-owned instrument shop and music school that has been part of the Castle Rock community since 2006, curates the music for this free outdoor series. Bring a chair or blanket, and pick up dinner from one of the nearby downtown restaurants to settle in for a relaxed evening of music under the summer sky.
Hacienda: GABSS at Mockingbird Denver
๐ Jul 30, 2026, 8:00 PM
๐ Mockingbird Denver, 2737 Larimer St., Denver, CO
GABSS, the Brazilian DJ who landed a number one collaboration with Vintage Culture and placed multiple tracks in the top 10 over the past year, headlines the July edition of Hacienda at Mockingbird Denver. Hacienda is 128 Productions' weekday conscious party series dedicated to breaking new talent, where the headliner plays early and the room stays focused on the music. GABSS arrives mid-tour, having played Ushuaia Ibiza, Sao Paulo's So Track Boa festival, and a string of North American stops in 2026. Mockingbird sits on Larimer Street in the RiNo corridor, a venue that has become a consistent home for 128's house and techno programming.
Under Auburn Skies Album Release Show at The Oriental Theater
๐ Jul 31, 2026, 7:00 PM
๐ The Oriental Theater, Denver, CO
Under Auburn Skies brings their debut full-length 'Diminisher of Hope' to The Oriental Theater two weeks after the record drops everywhere on July 17. The Denver metalcore outfit has spent years keeping the band alive through lineup changes and studio delays, and this night marks the payoff: a set built around new material they expect the crowd to already know by heart. Joining them are four acts from the Front Range heavy scene: The Burial Plot, Colony Collapse (Pittsburgh/Denver metalcore), Buried in Lies (Colorado's V-Kei-influenced metalcore), and progressive metalcore band After Eclipse.
Cosmic Beach Resort at Larimer Lounge
๐ Aug 1, 2026, 5:00 PM
๐ Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205
Cosmic Beach Resort headlines Larimer Lounge for the first time, bringing their Denver psychedelic rock sound to RiNo's heritage indie rock club, which has been a fixture on Larimer St since 2002. Support comes from The Jon Brumm Musical Experience, who plays psych folk and gothic country with roots deep in the Colorado scene, and Satellite Friend, whose semi-danceable indie rock rounds out a lineup of local originals. Fee-free tickets are available directly from any of the three bands via DM.
Adult Jam Session at the Muse Performance Space
๐ Aug 2, 2026, 3:00 PM
๐ Muse Performance Space, Lafayette, CO
On the first Sunday of each month, the Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts opens the Muse Performance Space in Lafayette to adult musicians for a drop-in jam session led by a CCJA mentor. The session runs 90 minutes and is open to all players regardless of experience level. CCJA has built its reputation since 1999 around creating welcoming jazz community, and this monthly session is that ethic made practical: a low-barrier place for adults to play together in a dedicated performance space.
May Be Fern at Red Rocks: Film on the Rocks 2026
๐ Aug 3, 2026, 7:00 PM
๐ Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
May Be Fern, Denver's neon funk-rock band and Westword Best Funk-Rock Album winners, takes the Red Rocks Amphitheatre stage as part of Denver Film's Film on the Rocks lineup. The band plays before a screening of Bridesmaids at one of Colorado's most storied outdoor venues. For a band rooted in the Front Range club circuit, Bar 404 Broadway residency and all, this is a genuine milestone: Red Rocks is the room every Colorado band points to, and May Be Fern is playing it.
KRFC Open Mic Night at Magic Rat
๐ Aug 5, 2026, 6:00 PM
๐ Magic Rat Live Music at The Elizabeth Hotel, Fort Collins, CO
KRFC 88.9 FM hosts a monthly open mic at Magic Rat Live Music, a venue tucked inside The Elizabeth Hotel in Old Town Fort Collins. Magic Rat bills itself as a space for weekly jams and a variety of live acts, making it a natural home for a night where local voices step up without a set lineup. The first Wednesday of each month at 6 PM, the stage opens to anyone ready to share something new, raw, or half-finished.
TAP-IN to Colorado Tap Dance Festival 2026
๐ Aug 7, 2026, 12:00 PM
๐ MOVE! Dance Space and Arts Center, Colorado
TAP-IN to Colorado is the state's only annual tap dance festival, run out of MOVE! Dance Space and Arts Center in the Front Range tradition of bringing together Colorado instructors alongside guest faculty from New York and beyond. The 2026 edition runs four days and draws dancers from beginner through advanced levels, with technique classes, specialty workshops, improvisation sessions, and a tap jam. Faculty confirmed for 2026 includes Barbara Duffy and Anthony Morigerato from New York, and Colorado-based artists Danielle Heller, Emily Jones, Lauren Kleiman, and Jenna Roe. Registration tiers range from a full festival pass down to single-class purchases, making the festival accessible whether you're a first-timer or a seasoned tapper.
Broadway Art Market at The Goldfinch
๐ Aug 8, 2026, 10:00 AM
๐ The Goldfinch, 1842 S. Broadway, Denver, CO
The Goldfinch, a cocktail bar and coffee house on South Broadway, opens its outdoor footprint to local artists every second Saturday from May through September. The Broadway Art Market runs 10am to 4pm, bringing together vendors from the SoBo creative community alongside the venue's full brunch and coffee menu. That evening, Mile High Soul Club takes over at 9pm, spinning vinyl soul, funk, and dancefloor heaters through the night. The two halves of the day share a building block: rooted local culture, from handmade work to hand-selected records.
Off With Their Heads at The Crypt Denver
๐ Aug 8, 2026, 7:00 PM
๐ The Crypt, Denver, CO
Off With Their Heads, the Minneapolis punk band with two decades in the scene, plays The Crypt on their way out to the west coast. The Crypt is Denver's horror-themed venue, and this 21+ show starts at 7pm. A selection of show-exclusive merch will only be available to ticket buyers at the door, not through the band's usual online store.
BIPOC Open Mic Night at Curios Nature
๐ Aug 13, 2026, 7:00 PM
๐ Curios Nature & Co, 773 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO
Bodies of Culture brings its monthly BIPOC Open Mic to a new home: Curios Nature & Co, a BIPOC and queer-centered creative space opening in Denver's Santa Fe Arts District. Melissa Ivey, described in her own words as a "Musical Doula" and future ancestor performance artist, hosts the evening, which runs the second Thursday of each month. Sign-up opens at 6:30pm, with the stage running 7:00-9:00pm. Bodies of Culture has built this open mic over more than 18 months as a recurring community institution; the move to the Santa Fe Arts District marks a new chapter for the series.
The Comedy of Errors by Shakespeare in the Wild
๐ Aug 14, 2026, 7:00 PM
๐ deKoevend Park at Goodson Rec Center, Centennial, CO
Shakespeare in the Wild brings its fifth season to deKoevend Park in Centennial, performing The Comedy of Errors across three weekends in August. The company stages professional Shakespeare outdoors and entirely free to the public, building a temporary stage under the trees each summer. This production is directed by Aaron Vega in a physical theatre style rooted in commedia, clowning, and mask work, with a cast of nine professional actors playing Shakespeare's cascading farce of mistaken identities. Bring a picnic blanket and a camp chair; sunsets are part of the show.
Open Mic Night at City, O' City with Chase Cavanaugh
๐ Aug 20, 2026, 6:30 PM
๐ City, O' City, Denver, CO
Every third Thursday, City, O' City opens its stage to singers, poets, comedians, and anyone else who wants a few minutes in front of a crowd. Chase Cavanaugh, a guitarist and vocalist with deep roots in the venue's community, hosts the night and keeps the energy welcoming for first-timers and regulars alike. City, O' City is a vegetarian restaurant and bar anchored in Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood, the kind of place that has long made space for local artists alongside its food and coffee programs. Signup opens at 6 pm and the stage runs from 6:30 to 8:30.
FreeFarm 2026
๐ Aug 21, 2026, 12:00 AM
๐ Elizabeth, CO (private barn, 1 hour from Denver)
FreeFarm returns to a private barn in Elizabeth, Colorado for its second year, running August 21-23 as a three-day camping festival about an hour outside Denver. The lineup spans 14 acts across a range of indie and alternative sounds, headlined by Cherokee Social and Young & Dead, with supporting sets from Bitstream Bleed, Half Moon, Lone Artois, and more. Beyond the music, the weekend includes a fashion show open to local models and designers, DJ sets, workshops, and intentional gathering spaces, all run through a custom sound system inside the barn. FreeFarm is put on by the same crew behind year one, positioning it as a grassroots community event built around what they call the genreless lovers.
Atom Jazz Fest 2026
๐ Aug 21, 2026, 12:00 AM
๐ Left Hand Brewing Garden, Longmont, CO
The inaugural Atom Jazz Fest brings three days of live jazz to the Left Hand Brewing Garden in Longmont, with a lineup that spans student ensembles and Front Range professionals alongside nationally touring acts. Headlining performances come from the Ken Walker Tribute Sextet and Electric Giz, with sets from the Health Walton Quintet, Adam Bodine Quartet, Stafford Hunter Quintet, Alex Loran Sextet, Guerrilla Fanfare, Deborah Stafford Swingtet, and more than a dozen other groups. The Atom Jazz Network, a Northern Colorado 501(c)(3) nonprofit, produces the festival as a direct investment in regional jazz education, mentorship, and gig opportunities for emerging musicians. Admission is free and the event is open to all ages.
Rooster ArtFest 2026
๐ Aug 29, 2026, 12:00 AM
๐ ReelWorks, Denver, CO
Rooster ArtFest returns to ReelWorks Denver for its third year on August 29th, presented by Rocky Road Aurora. The annual gathering brings together local visual artists, clothing designers, musicians, and food vendors under one roof for a free, 21+ evening that has grown into one of Denver's more distinctive independent art markets. Past editions have featured live art battles, immersive sponsor lounges, and a dense floor of independent makers, making this a regular touchstone for Denver's creative community.
May Be Fern at Cervantes' Other Side with Fruta Brutal and Tart
๐ Sep 11, 2026, 7:00 PM
๐ Cervantes' Other Side, Denver, CO
May Be Fern, Denver's self-described neon funk rock band and winners of Westword's Best Funk Rock Album of 2025, headline an evening at Cervantes' Other Side alongside Fruta Brutal and Tart. The flyer teases the night as an 'extra special show' with more details still to come, signaling something beyond a standard club bill. Cervantes' Other Side is a smaller stage within the Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom complex, a venue with deep roots in Denver's independent live music scene. The show is all-ages from 16 up, with advance tickets available through the venue website or directly from the band.
Denver PorchFest 2026
๐ Oct 3, 2026, 12:00 PM
๐ Baker Neighborhood, Denver, CO
Denver PorchFest turns the Baker neighborhood into a walkable, all-day music festival on October 3rd. Porches, yards, driveways, and stoops become stages; attendees wander block to block catching local bands, discovering new artists, and browsing a vendor fair featuring local makers and small businesses. The event is entirely nonprofit and volunteer-run, with proceeds supporting artist pay, operations, and East 7th Arts, a Denver nonprofit that provides art and music therapy to children with autism. With 50-plus acts across 15-plus neighborhood sites, this is the first PorchFest in Denver's history.
School of Badass Burlesque Spring Student Showcase
๐ Jun 6, 2027, 5:00 PM
๐ Creepatorium, Denver, CO
The School of Badass Burlesque brings its spring session students to Creepatorium, Denver's queer-owned alternative venue, for an evening of solos and group acts from Levels 1 and 2. The lineup includes performances by featured artists Emerald Champagne and Katya Peepin, the Queen of Badass Burlesque, alongside students who have spent weeks developing their stage presence, costuming, and burlesque technique. Creepatorium describes itself as an alt venue for weirdos, by weirdos, and it has become a regular home for Denver's burlesque scene. Doors open at 4:30pm with the show starting at 5pm.
Live Music, Comedy, Dance & Theater in Colorado: what to expect
Upcoming listings include "My'StroE at Blucifer's First Rodeo (Illegal Pete's)" and "Jackson Cloud at The Fox Theatre", and the lineup refreshes as creators post new dates, so it's worth checking back for what's on this week and next.
Browse the events above for dates and details, then book directly with the host. Finding live music, comedy, dance, and theater in Colorado should feel like getting a tip from a local, because that's exactly where these listings come from.