Live music in Denver, CO

Celebrate First Friday on Larimer Square with live music from Michael Cec & Friends. As part of Denver’s citywide First Friday movement, this event highlights local music and community across the city. While you are there, explore happy hour and dinner options at the restaurants and bars on the block.

Live music takes center stage at the Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival with performances by Kingpin Posse and Judgement Day.

Celebrate the creative spirit of Colfax at the Cruisin' Colfax Summer Art Crawl, an open-air summer showcase that embraces everything from the wonderfully weird to the delightfully quirky. Highlights include car shows that pay tribute to Colfax’s roots as an automobile corridor, new art exhibitions, Beat poetry readings, live bands, and a screening of car-themed short films, with more to explore throughout the crawl.

Food Truck Fridays return for the summer with a mix of food trucks and live music on the lawn between the Eisenhower Recreation Center and the pickleball courts. This community series is made possible by sponsors Arianna Morris with The Agency, Production Services International, BODYBAR (Hampden South), American Family Care, Shining Lotus, and Iliff Preschool.

Fiesta CO features performances by Mariachi Sol De Mi Tierra and Chicano Heat as part of Levitt’s free concert season presented with Kaiser Permanente. The concert welcomes all ages and will proceed regardless of weather. Admission is free with an RSVP, and optional upgrades are available.

Yeat brings The LOVE/LYFE Tour to The Junkyard for a live performance. This stop features the artist on stage in support of the tour.

For decades, Denver’s Mercury Cafe fostered a cherished tradition of live jazz, spoken word, and community. As the historic building closes, The Karma House helps carry that spirit forward with an evening that weaves music and poetry into a shared experience. The night begins with an open jazz jam alive with improvisation, collaborative energy, and soulful sound, then shifts to a poetry open mic where seasoned voices from Denver’s scene and first-time performers share the stage. More than a typical open mic, this gathering continues a Denver institution that has flourished for over thirty years, creating a space where art, music, vulnerability, resistance, storytelling, and community meet in real time. The atmosphere blends smoky jazz textures, surprising partnerships, laughter and heartbreak, sparks and tenderness, experimentation, and moments that affirm why spaces like this matter. It brings together those who spent years at The Merc and those discovering the tradition for the first time to honor legacy, resilience, and renewal through art. The Karma House is a kava bar and community gathering space in Lakewood focused on connection, creativity, healing, and belonging, hosting a wide range of events that include live music, workshops, movement classes, support groups, comedy, poetry, art, and community gatherings. It serves kava, a traditional plant beverage from the Pacific Islands used ceremonially and socially for generations in cultures including Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga, and Samoa, with acknowledgement of the Indigenous Pacific Island communities who have stewarded these traditions for centuries.

Tomahawk teams up with Melvins for a show at The Ogden Theatre. This event is open to attendees 16 and older. Each household may purchase up to four tickets, and any orders beyond the limit may be canceled without prior notice.

Little Moses Jones delivers a high-energy live set at Greenfields, featuring 90s and 2000s R&B and hip hop, sing-along hits, and silky grooves that keep the momentum going.

Enjoy an evening of music, dancing, and community at a social dance party designed for all experience levels. In a casual, friendly setting, dancers can practice ballroom, Latin, and social styles while enjoying a wide range of music, welcoming partners, and lots of open floor time. Instructors will be on hand to offer guidance, encouragement, and keep the energy high. It is a chance to meet new people and build confidence. No partner is required. Admission is free for clients actively enrolled in a package of private dance lessons or for those who attend the group class. If you are not enrolled in a private lesson package, admission is $20.

Part of Levitt’s free concert season presented by Kaiser Permanente, this Cultural Day celebration features Senegalese-born percussionist Élage Diouf with Zimbabwean multi-instrumentalist Blessing Bled Chimanga. Diouf, an author, composer, and performer who has lived in Canada since 1996, blends pop, world, blues, folk, and asiko, singing mainly in Wolof. His shows are known for lively audience participation, with dancing, singing, and moments that bring people on stage. Chimanga is an internationally acclaimed singer and songwriter whose mastery of marimba, drums, and voice drives a mix of Afro-jazz, traditional Zimbabwean sounds, and contemporary rhythms. Open to all ages and presented rain or shine, with free RSVP options and upgrades available.

At Little Man Ice Cream - Dang in Denver, enjoy ice cream alongside complimentary live music.

Teague Starbuck performs live at Teller's Taproom as part of an ongoing music series that showcases different artists.

Gritty Velvet brings an evening of music performed live to Misfits Sports Bar and Grill.

Rick Ross marks two decades of his debut album, Port of Miami, with a formal black tie concert at Paramount Denver in Denver, Colorado. This stop on a national anniversary tour reimagines his chart-shaping tracks with full orchestral and choral arrangements performed alongside the Renaissance Orchestra and the Sainted Trap Choir, blending hip hop with the power of a large live ensemble. Black tie attire is encouraged.

Catch Angrybaby, Conducta, and MiiNDS live at this 21+ house, U.K. garage, and dance/electronic show. Entry is restricted to guests who can present valid ID matching the name on the ticket. Tickets are final sale, and you’ll use your mobile e-ticket or printout for entry.

Spend an evening at La Rumba with salsa and bachata music curated by DJ Noslen, plus social dancing and instruction. Brush up on your moves with a bachata class led by Subbu and Reid, followed by a salsa class with Joseph Snowhawk. The cover charge is $10, or $15 if you are taking the classes.

The Pretty Penny Tour brings Passion Pit to The Ogden Theatre for a performance open to guests 16 and older. Tickets use a tiered general admission model where every tier provides the same access, and lower priced tiers disappear once they sell out. At times more than one price point may appear during purchase. Ticket transfers open one month after the public on sale.

Pickin' on the Dead performs at Cervantes' Other Side, joined by Breadbox for a patio set.

Olivia O'Brien appears at Marquis in Denver for a ticketed event. Fans can look forward to an in-person appearance at this Denver venue.

Part of the Love You Even Still 2026 World Tour, SUGAR headlines Mission Ballroom with special guest J. Robbins of Jawbox. This event is for ages 16 and over. The setup features general admission with the option to purchase reserved seating in the East or West balcony. Balcony tickets include seated access in those sections with nearby bar service and exclusive restrooms, and also allow entry to the general admission areas. General admission tickets provide first come, first served access to the floor and bowl. Each ticket helps support a cause, as SUGAR partners with PLUS1 so that $2 per ticket benefits The Trevor Project and its work delivering crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth.

Angine de Poitrine is scheduled at The Ogden Theatre. The event is open to attendees ages 16 and over, and doors will open ahead of the start.

Part of Levitt’s free concert season presented by Kaiser Permanente, this all ages, rain or shine performance features Shwayze with Claire Wright. Shwayze delivers a relaxed fusion of hip hop and alternative sounds, pairing upbeat anthems with introspective storytelling. His album Shwaycation reflects a push into new creative territory while staying grounded in the feel that defined his early work, and he continues to expand into television and film as an independent artist. Claire Wright, a Northern California native, brings sunlit energy shaped by years of songwriting in Southern California and Nashville. Influenced by artists like Jack Johnson and The Dirty Heads, she blends country-style storytelling with reggae-leaning production for a signature sound. Her debut release on Ineffable Records includes collaborations with Iration and G. Love & Special Sauce and is gaining traction on the West Coast reggae landscape. Admission is free with RSVP, with optional upgrades available.

Celestia is a seated, multisensory art experience that reimagines Saint John’s Cathedral in Denver as a canvas of light, projection, and music. Powered by advanced technology, it spotlights the cathedral’s architectural splendor with dynamic imagery set to an orchestral score. The result is a welcoming celebration of creativity and community for visitors of all backgrounds.

Presented by Cervantes’ and River Beats, SHIFT takes over Cervantes’ Masterpiece with DRRTYWULVZ and a secret guest, joined by EOS, Know Matter, Path of the Moose, and INQUUIT.