A Manhattan federal jury deliberated for four days before reaching its decision Wednesday in the closely watched case, which gave fans the equivalent of a backstage pass to a business that dominates live entertainment in the U.S. and beyond.

“Live Nation is a monopolist and has abused its monopoly power to squeeze out competition, jack up ticket prices, stifle artists and make it harder for fans to see their favorite artists,” Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a statement.

The judge overseeing the trial told lawyers on both sides to meet with one another “and the United States” to provide a joint letter proposing a schedule for motions and how the remedies phase of the case would occur. He told them to deliver it by late next week.

The trial brought Live Nation��, where he was questioned about matters including the company’s����in 2022. Rapino blamed a cyberattack.

The proceedings also aired a Live Nation employee’s����to another employee declaring some prices “outrageous,” calling customers “so stupid” and boasting that the company was “robbing them blind, baby.” The employee, Benjamin Baker, who has since been promoted to a position as a ticketing executive,����that the messages were “very immature and unacceptable.”

Live Nation Entertainment owns, operates, controls booking for or has an equity interest in hundreds of venues. Its subsidiary Ticketmaster is widely considered to be the world’s largest ticket-seller for live events. Its lawyers did not immediately comment as they left the courthouse, but said a statement would be issued shortly.

The verdict could cost Live Nation and Ticketmaster hundreds of millions of dollars, just for the $1.72 per ticket that the jury found Ticketmaster had overcharged consumers in 22 states. The companies could also be assessed penalties. In addition, sanctions could result in court orders that they divest themselves of some entities, including venues such as amphitheaters that they own.

The civil case, , accused Live Nation of using its reach to smother competition — by blocking venues from using multiple ticket sellers, for example.

“It is time to hold them accountable,” Jeffrey Kessler, an attorney for the states, said in a closing argument, calling Live Nation a “monopolistic bully” that drove up prices for ticket buyers.

Live Nation insisted it����ap not a monopoly, saying that artists, sports teams and venues decide prices and ticketing practices. A company lawyer insisted its size was simply a function of excellence and effort.

“Success is not against the antitrust laws in the United States,” attorney David Marriott said in his summation.

Ticketmaster was established in 1976 and merged with Live Nation in 2010. The company now controls of 86% of the market for concerts and 73% of the overall market when sports events are included, according to Kessler.

Ticketmaster has long drawn ire from fans and some artists. Grunge rock titans Pearl Jam battled the business in the 1990s, even filing an anti-monopoly complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice, which declined to bring a case then.

Decades later, the Justice Department, joined by Colorado and dozens of states, brought the current lawsuit during Democratic former President Joe Biden’s administration. Days into the trial, Republican President Donald Trump’s administration announced it was settling its claims against Live Nation.

The a cap on service fees at some amphitheaters, plus some new ticket-selling options for promoters and venues — potentially allowing, but not requiring, them to open doors to Ticketmaster competitors such as SeatGeek or AXS. But the settlement doesn’t force Live Nation to split from Ticketmaster.

A handful of the states . But more than 30 pressed ahead with the trial, saying the federal government hadn’t gotten enough concessions from Live Nation.

“State attorneys general stood strong and continued this case without the federal government because we believed that concertgoers deserved a fair trial and a fair deal,” Weiser said. “Live Nation is being held to account for violating state and federal antitrust laws, and I’ll continue to fight to break up their monopoly, restore competition and get money back for concertgoers.”

New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in a release that the “landmark jury verdict in our case against Live Nation confirms what we have said since the start of our case: For far too long, Live Nation has illegally profited from its monopoly at the expense of hardworking New Jerseyans.”

“Live Nation’s illegal, anti-competitive practices have caused immense damage in our state, exploiting consumers by driving up the price of tickets and making it harder for fans to see their favorite artists,” she added.

New York Attorney General Letitia James called the verdict “a landmark victory in our ongoing work to protect our economy and New Yorkers’ wallets from harmful monopolies.”

After the victory, Kessler would not say specifically what the states will seek in the next phase of the litigation, which was expected to involve another lengthy proceeding with witnesses before penalties are decided on.

But he celebrated the moment.

“It����ap a great day for consumers. This case is a tribute to the 34 states and the District of Columbia who carried this case forward,” he said.

Their goal is to combat what the attorneys general in these states have called Live Nation’s “monopoly” in the music events industry by breaking up its business and getting concessions from the company. Live Nation is the dominant music promoter in the U.S. (although not in Colorado, where AEG Presents holds the most sway) and owner of Ticketmaster.

“That’s what’s driving us now, because that DOJ settlement is a travesty,” Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser told The Denver Post. “This is what monopoly behavior looks like — (having) a chokehold in the market and taking advantage of consumers. It’s having an impact on fans and artists and culture, and it’s got to stop.”

The Justice Department, which had sued Live Nation in 2024 alongside the states, decided on March 9 to settle with the company for $280 million and drop out of the legal proceedings, which are taking place in federal court in New York. The settlement, which has yet to be approved by the judge, directs Live Nation to shed more than a dozen booking contracts with big venues and open up some of its ticketing business to competitors such as SeatGeek.

On Monday, Robert Roux, Live Nation’s president of live concerts, in court as an “artist-first company” that does 90% of shows in smaller venues, where it can groom artists to someday reach the large crowds and big paydays that come with stadiums, arenas and amphitheaters.

But Weiser and several other states’ attorneys general have assailed that notion, calling last week’s federal settlement anti-consumerist. As a result, the trial resumed on Monday in New York federal court with testimony from Roux, as well as rival promoter AEG Presents.

The antitrust lawsuit, which took shape under the Biden administration, accused Live Nation of having an illegal monopoly on live events, something that drives up prices for music fans.

“They own all these arenas and amphitheaters and facilities, and they have a monopoly in ticketing,” he said, citing venues such as Barclays Center in Brooklyn as having been blacklisted by Live Nation because it explored ticketing options other than Ticketmaster.

Weiser also suggested that politics may be at play. Richard Grenell, a friend of President Donald Trump, in May 2025, three months after being appointed as the director of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (a position that last week).

“The sad and painful reality is that his Department of Justice is now making decisions not on merits about what’s harming consumers, but whether a company is politically connected and has the right lobbyist,” Weiser said.

Live Nation officials have repeatedly denied having a monopoly, casting themselves as good-faith competitors in a fast-changing market. Leaders say they’ve sunk millions of dollars into fighting bots, which can instantly buy huge amounts of tickets and drive up prices, as well as ensuring a level playing field for artists and venues.

“We have never relied on exclusivity to drive our ticketing business, it has simply been the result of having the best products, services and people in the industry,” said Michael Rapino, President and CEO of Live Nation, in a statement.

The Front Range is a little different than most markets across the country since Live Nation competitor AEG Presents Rocky Mountains books the majority of concerts here. But Weiser said he’s heard no concerns about their promotion and venue-operating practices, or as the owner of ticketing company AXS, the official ticket seller for the city of Denver’s events. (That includes the majority of shows at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, which often sell out hours after going on sale and have also prompted frustration from ticketbuyers.)

AEG Presents, also known as Anschutz Entertainment Group, was founded and is owned by Colorado billionaire Philip Anschutz.

“AEG is really an upstart in the ticketing market,” Weiser said. “They do own venues in Colorado and do artist promotion. But if you look at the market position, Live Nation is the goliath in this marketplace.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Vienna public prosecutors said in a statement that the unnamed defendant had declared by sharing propaganda material and videos via various messaging services.

Vienna prosecutors also accuse the defendant of having “obtained instructions on the internet for the construction of a shrapnel bomb based on the explosive triacetone triperoxide” typically used by IS, and of having produced a small amount of the explosive.

Prosecutors also say that the defendant had made “several attempts” to buy weapons illegally outside the country and to bring them to Austria.

Vienna public prosecutors plan to proceed with a criminal case against the unnamed suspect in Wiener Neustadt, a town near the Austrian capital.

The spokesperson for the Vienna public prosecutors office confirmed to The Associated Press that the defendant is in custody. Austrian media identified the suspect as Beran A. and said he was arrested in August 2024.

Austrian authorities in Vienna in August 2024 after they said they foiled an apparent plot to target the performances.

The U.S. provided intelligence that fed into the decision to cancel the concerts.

“The United States has an enduring focus on our counterterrorism mission. We work closely with partners all over the world to monitor and disrupt threats. And so as part of that work, the United States did share information with Austrian partners to enable the disruption of a threat to Taylor Swift����ap concerts there in Vienna,” then-White House national security spokesman John Kirby said in August 2024.

1. An ugly Christmas present: Playing for a penalty against the Chiefs in Kansas City during a tie game, with two minutes left in the fourth quarter, on national TV? That takes some guts, man. Chris Jones bailed Sean Payton out. Either that, or Jones didn’t get the memo on how a Christmas night game in Kansas City was about Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, not the Broncos chasing the No. 1 seed. Meanwhile, one sack. One. That’s it. We knew Chris Oladokun had a little Marcus Mariota in him. Just not enough. On paper, you worried the Broncos defense might get tired chasing the Chiefs’ third-team QB around all night, the way they did chasing Mariota around last month. Kansas City tackle Chukwuebuka Godrick was making just his second NFL start. Esa Pole was making his third. Is Denver that good? We’ll find out for certain when the Chargers roll into town Week 18.

Broncos-Chiefs report card: Sean Payton controls time-of-possession in ugly Christmas win

2. Refs gifting KC, Andy Reid?: Officials working the Chiefs-����aphristmas Day sure seemed to give all kinds of gifts to Kansas City early. Broncos guard Ben Powers was whistled for a false start with 3:35 left until halftime, even though multiple replay angles showed the only thing moving on Powers' person was a wiggling finger while in his stance as a Chiefs defender went flying across the neutral zone. It got goofier midway through the third quarter, as an Evan Engram first-down catch at midfield was wiped out when officials called Engram for offensive pass interference. Yet again, replays showed nothing untoward. With 3 minutes left in the third quarter, the Broncos had been hit with four penalties for 52 yards. The Chiefs hadn't been flagged once -- even with all those backups. Interesting.

Broncos outlast Chiefs on Christmas night, 20-13, move to doorstep of AFC title

3. Red zone blues: Every field goal attempt comes with context. Super Bowl teams don't finish drives in the red zone, on the road, by settling for three late. The Broncos in the first half saw at least two dropped touchdowns stall drives. Denver went into halftime extending their streak of no TDs in the red zone into three trips (0 for 3) over the last two games against the Chiefs and Jaguars. The Broncos had managed touchdowns on five previous red-zone trips, including a 4 for 4 afternoon against the Green Bay Packers. It's one of the reasons why some national pundits, and even the faithful in ����apountry, aren't sure what they're going to get from this team in the postseason.

4. Al Michaels was off his game: Did the Grinch steal Al Michaels' two-deep? The Amazon Prime play-by-play man is a living legend, but the velvet voice's fastball was wanting in the first half. At one point, Broncos wideout Lil'Jordan Humphrey was introduced by Michaels as "Lil Humphrey." Pat Surtain, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, was referred to as "Sur-TANE." And Michaels called the tipped ball that led to a Nix interception along the sideline with 2:53 left in the first quarter and ... then got conspicuously quiet, even though Kansas City linebacker Nick Bolton had clearly maintained possession with both his toes inbounds. We believe in miracles on Christmas Day. We're also wondering how many Christmases on the call Michaels has left in the tank.

That����ap according to local streaming data provided by Spotify, which released its uber-popular Spotify Wrapped campaign on Wednesday. In the Mile High City, T Swift ranked as the No. 1 listened-to artist, followed by Canadian rapper Drake, country singer Morgan Wallen, rapper Kendrick Lamar, and country musician Zach Bryan.

When it came to the songs and albums streamed most this year, however, Swift����ap “Life of a Showgirl” did not crack the top five. Instead, Kendrick Lamar, , notched three of the top five songs: “luther (with SZA)” at No. 1, “tv off (feat. lefty gunplay)” at No. 4, and “Not Like Us” at No. 5.

Tucked in between at No. 2 was “Ordinary” from social media sensation Alex Warren and “Pink Pony Club” from the year’s breakthrough artist Chappell Roan.

Denver’s most-streamed albums were topped by Wallen’s “I’m The Problem,” followed by the KPop Demon Hunter’s soundtrack, “GNX” by Lamar, “SOS Deluxe: LANA” by SZA, and “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” by Bad Bunny.

Local listening differed from global trends, which were dominated by Bad Bunny. The Latin star was the No. 1 streamed artist of the year and had the top album of the year, according to Spotify. The platform’s top five streaming artists of 2025 were rounded out by Swift, The Weeknd, Drake and Billie Eilish.

For more insights, visit Spotify’s blog .

Or in the case of the Broncos, it means don’t lose to the (bleeping) Jets. All signs point toward a favorable crowd for the Broncos at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday. The NFL remains a niche sport in London, with no strong allegiances, save for a pocket of Jacksonville Jaguars fans.

The Broncos’ upset of��Philadelphia should crowd Denver’s bandwagon. Folks here watch the Super Bowl and know the Eagles are the defending champions. And the fact is, the Broncos are playing the Jets. Nobody believes in the Jets. Not even the Jets.

“The tickets should be affordable on the secondary market. The Broncos have a Super Bowl-winning coach, really good young quarterback and a great defense,” said Brian T. Smith, a senior U.S. reporter in London for talkSport. “I can’t imagine it won’t be sold out with a lot of Broncos fans. I don’t know how you walk into Tottenham Stadium and root for the Jets unless you are Fireman Ed.”

Under the leadership of commissioner Roger Goodell, the NFL remains determined to increase its international footprint. The idea of every team playing a game in a foreign country each season seems a foregone conclusion when an 18th regular-season game is added.

The Giants and Dolphins played the first International Series contest in London in 2007, an ugly mudfest. The Jaguars provide a yearly presence at Wembley Stadium. But growing the game, carving out 1 % of the Premier League pie, requires more.

“The games are really big. The Tube will be packed. It will be a full-day event with the crowd into it. The problem is that the games in London have not been very good,” said Smith, a longtime journalist in the States, including as a columnist at The Houston Chronicle. “It’s the greatest city in the world. You have a knowledgeable fan base. We are long past explaining what a first down is and how the game is played. What they need is to become a conversation point. You need to have Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce play here.”

Sunday, they will have to settle for the Broncos. And maybe the league can replace the Jets with Taylor Swift.

Rockie word play: Weird what words former Rockies turn into synonyms. Former general manager Bill Schmidt and assistant GM Zack Rosenthal resigned over the past two weeks, if you believe the press release. They were fired. If it makes them feel better that the term wasn’t used, so be it. Both were terrible, and Rosenthal had a history of running off qualified baseball people during his 21-year run with the team. Let the two ex-employees take comfort in their exit semantics. And please, Walker Monfort, bring in experts to run the baseball side of the franchise. There is a tremendous opportunity to hit the reset button. Don’t waste it.

Mr. Bill: The skepticism of NFL folks proved warranted. Bill Belichick has been an awful fit at North Carolina, his laughable loss to Clemson increasing the likelihood he is one-and-done for the Tar Heels. I feel bad for the players. They did not sign up for a coach who is disconnected and disinterested. Maybe having a Friends and Family plan coaching staff wasn’t such a great idea after all. Things are so bad and dysfunctional, per reports, Hulu scrapped plans for a UNC documentary. The good news is that the Tar Heels’ games have been moved to The Cartoon Network.

The 21st century in particular has seen an explosion of mainstream acts from the state, taking cues from high-visibility trailblazers such as Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Hot Rize, and Big Head Todd and the Monsters. The overall vibe? Easy listening folk-rock, soul and bluegrass; bittersweet melodies; incredible musicianship; and communal catharsis.

Here are Colorado’s top 5 biggest acts of the moment — plus a few you may not have heard of.

The Lumineers

Winsome songwriters Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites set out for Denver from New York in 2009, and have since grown into standard bearers for stomp-and-holler music. That Americana genre is loosely defined by rousing, singalong anthems and tender ballads that prize acoustic tones, with singles such as 2012’s “Ho Hey” proving the band’s ability to tease out joy and wistfulness, and a live show that reinforces its energetic reputation.
Also check out: DeVotchKa, Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, Heavy Diamond Ring

Illenium

Electronic dance music producer and DJ Nick Miller has collaborated with some of the biggest names in pop since moving to Denver in 2013 and getting sober, including Lana Del Rey, The Chainsmokers, Halsey, and Travis Barker. He broke ground at Empower Field at Mile High in 2023 when he played the biggest-ever concert from a Colorado-based artist, having already conquered global stages and festivals. His aesthetic is malleable, veering from sharp beats and tight samples to gauzy synths that locate hidden corners of brilliance in remixes of Taylor Swift and Nirvana.
Also check out: Pretty Lights, CloZee, Said the Sky

Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats

Husky-voiced Rateliff made an early splash in his soaring 2000s rock band Born in the Flood, and as a melancholy solo artist, before hitting it big in 2015 with the furiously catchy single “S.O.B.” His soul/blues revival outfit, which features musicians vital to Denver’s modern indie-rock scene (see Pat Meese, Joseph Pope III and Mark Schusterman), has been progressively growing in fame with huge, sold-out tours and Rateliff’s wide-ranging collaborations, leading to film and TV exposure, opening spots for the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, and praise from Paul McCartney, Mavis Staples, Willie Nelson, Robert Plant and many others.
Also check out: Hazel Miller, The Velveteers, Rootbeer Richie & The Reveille

OneRepublic

Colorado music fans may not always realize that this polished, pop-rock act is one of our own, with the group having launched from Colorado Springs in 2002 before finding success in monster hits such as “Apologize,” “Secrets” and “Good Life.” Grammy-winning front man Ryan Tedder has also written for and produced artists such as Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Adele. He advocates for speaking openly about mental health struggles, having gone through many of his own, with a concurrent knack for winning over ears and hearts with his acrobatic voice.
Also check out: Wildermiss, Tennis, The Mańanas

Gregory Alan Isakov

This pensive, poetic songwriter is living his best Front Range life as an organic farmer in Boulder while churning out heartbreaking, Grammy-nominated albums that evoke the dusty southwest better than any globe-trotting Coloradan. He’s long collaborated with Colorado Symphony at his annually sold-out, back-to-back Red Rocks Amphitheatre shows, and his U.K. and European tours are nearly always sold out, too. (And boy, can he wear a hat.)
Also check out: Wovenhand, Elephant Revival, The Still Tide, Porlolo ]]> 7194260 2025-10-08T06:00:34+00:00 2025-10-08T13:15:25+00:00 /2025/10/02/things-to-do-denver-2/ Thu, 02 Oct 2025 12:00:14 +0000 /?p=7289516 Showtime!

Saturday. There will be plenty of “release parties” for Taylor Swift����ap latest, “The Life of a Showgirl,” this week at venues around Denver (including the official movie accompaniment, Oct. 3-5 at various theaters locally). You’ll find one of them at Denver Milk Market, 1800 Wazee St., which hosts its own Life of a Food Hall Party on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 4 to 9 p.m.

“All Tayniacs are invited to don their favorite dancing shoes for a festive evening featuring Denver’s DJ J’Adore spinning classics like ‘Tim McGaw,’ ‘Blank Space’ and ‘Lover,’ along with soon-to-be-hits from the new album,” the venue said. Moo Bar, inside the food hall, will be pouring themed cocktails like Lavender Haze, made with Bombay Bramble house blended gin, lemon and blueberry simple syrup, and Ophelia’s Fate, made with gin, St. Germain, grapefruit liquor and thyme simple syrup. Attendees can craft friendship bracelets with materials provided Dairy Block’s Blue Ruby Boutique, while enjoying album-themed personal cakes.

Entry is free, but the dance floor is expected to fill up quickly, so advanced reservations are highly recommended. Get more information at .��— Jonathan Shikes

Bananasfest: The Sequel

Saturday. The 2nd Bananasfest — named after the playfully bizarre “Bananas” comedy podcast from stand-up Kurt Braunholer and screenwriter Scotty Landes — takes over a stretch of 32nd Avenue in Lower Highland on Saturday, Oct. 4, from noon to 5 p.m., before the podcast live-taping at 7:30 p.m., with the location known only to ticketholders.

It’s not all that exclusive. The fest begins with the free, fourth annual Splitty in the City “un-race” at 11:30 a.m., a 1k, downhill affair at Denver Beer Co., 1695 Platte St., with registration at 10 a.m. The daytime street fest is also free and all-ages. That one includes a dance contest, dog fashion show, drag king bingo, live DJ and performances, food trucks and pop-up bars, as well as a weird craft fair, its creators promised.

Braunholer will also lead an attempt to break the world record for “the largest gathering of people wearing bras on their heads” to raise money for I Support the Girls, a nonprofit providing bras and menstrual products to women and folks in need; attendees are encouraged to bring new, unused bras to wear on their head before donating them, producers said.

2219 W. 32nd Ave. in Denver. Get tickets for the taping ($30) and drink tokens for the fest (3 for $20; VIP options are sold out) at ��— John Wenzel

Kanpai!

Saturday. Denver’s Queen City Sake Festival returns on Saturday, Oct. 4, at Finn’s Manor, an outdoor bar at 2927 Larimer St. in Denver, from 1 to 4 p.m. Sake breweries and importers will include Dassai Blue, Hakkaisan Brewery, Tamano Hikari Brewery, Kikusui Brewery, Colorado Sake Co, Origami Sake Brewery, Sake Ono and many more. “Our focus is on sake education, which is what we’re most passionate about,” organizers said. “We’re already blown away by Denver’s enthusiastic response to our first year, and we’re excited to bring even more to the table in year two.”

There will also be curated bites from Uchi, Pig & Tiger, Takeo-san Mochi, Peko Peko and others, along with sake cocktails and slushies and education. Tickets, $71.21, include a handmade sake cup from well-known local ceramic artist O’baware and unlimited tastings of over 100 sakes. Get more information and tickets at .��— Jonathan Shikes

Colorado Ballet’s “Dracula”

Friday-Oct. 12. Get into spooky season with Colorado Ballet’s monster hit “Dracula,” which is arguably the dance outfit’s best-known production next to “The Nutcracker.” The Friday, Oct. 3-Oct. 12 run kicks off Colorado Ballet’s 65th season, and tickets for “Dracula” are already disappearing into the night. (The last time it ran, in 2022, several performances were sold out before the premiere, according to the dance company.)

Tickets for the extravagant shows at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, at Denver Performing Arts Complex, 1385 Curtis St. in Denver, run $50-$145 at — John Wenzel

Taylor Swift’s hotly anticipated new album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” releases on Friday, Oct. 3., and metro-area bars and venues are celebrating with Swift-themed events and listening parties. It’s no wonder: her pair of 2023 shows at Empower Field at Mile High sold out instantly, and fans have continued to swirl around each new, local Swift event like sparkles in a hurricane.

Here are just a few to check out. Even more restaurants and bars offering Swift-inspired drinks such as Champagne Problems ($13, at The Cherry Cricket), T.S. I Love You ($15, Poka Lola Social Club), True Romance ($16, Rose & Thorn) and Wishlist ($14, Toro), and Greenwood Village’s InVINtions Winery is touting big discounts on bottles and cases during its own Oct. 3 listening party.

Records on Main

Record stores are the natural home for listening parties, and Denver’s Records on Main is marking “Showgirl” with a nighttime event to take advantage of its 10 p.m. streaming release on Thursday, Oct. 2. Their TS12 party (“Showgirl” is Swift’s 12th album) will have games, a friendship bracelet-making station, flash tattoos, and a photo booth, said organizers, who also encouraged attendees to dress up as their favorite Swift era.

It begins at 9 p.m. on Thursday, with the listening party starting promptly at 10 p.m. It’s free and all-ages at 2430 Main St. in Littleton. RSVP at .

Town Hall’s “Showgirl”

Santa Fe Drive’s Town Hall Collaborative on Thursday, Oct. 2, is hosting its “Showgirl” party, hosted by All Your Stupid Friends, from 7 p.m.-midnight. “Come gather with All Your Stupid Friends, DJs, artists and more …” organizers wrote, adding that they’ll deck out the Town Hall Collabortive “Showgirl-style” with themed photo opps, a Swiftie scavenger hunt, predictions for the album, and a best Showgal/Showguy costume contest, along with a DJ dance party.

They’ll also offer a headphones-on silent disco experience and a music-only/low chatter area during the album listening, “for those who want the excitement and atmosphere but a more pure first listen experience.” 525 Santa Fe Drive in Denver. Tickets, $14.64, at .

Jackson’s “Showgirl”

LoDo sports bar Jackson’s will hold a release-night party on Thursday, Oct. 2, featuring an “every era” singalong from 8-10 p.m. and 10 p.m. listening party, with an album-giveaway open to those who RSVP. There will also be Taylor-themed drinks, a photo booth, friendship bracelets, trivia and games. “Dress in your Showgirl Era fits and join us on the rooftop for a night made for the fans,” organizers wrote. 1520 20th St. in Denver. Free with RSVP at , with VIP upgrades available.

The Life of a Showbird

Check out the party at Rare Bird, the bar and restaurant on the roof of the Halcyon Hotel in Cherry Creek, on Friday, Oct. 3, from 3 to 11 p.m., for a dance party to “The Life of a Showgirl,” “and all the favorites from eras past,” organizers wrote. “A DJ will spin every Swiftie era while guests enjoy themed cocktails, friendship bracelet-making and a costume contest. …

“The prize for best Taylor-inspired look will be a $100 dinner at Local Jones, and the most spot-on impersonation of her latest era will receive a vinyl copy of ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ and a record player — the same ones found in the guestrooms at Halcyon.” 245 Columbine St. in Denver. No tickets are required, but RSVPs are encouraged at .

High style

Cannabis lounge Cirrus Social Club is throwing a hazy Swiftie party on Thursday, Oct. 2, to preview the album, with a greatest-hits sesh from 9 to 10 p.m., and the front-to-back new album at 10 p.m. They plan to serve a Lavender Haze flower strain and specialty beverage in honor of Swift. The demand for thee first night was so high, Cirrus said on Facebook, that they just added a Friday, Oct. 3 event for 10 p.m., with free reservations available at . Visit for more about the 21-and-up events, which take place at 3200 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver.

The Life of a Food Hall

Denver Milk Market, 1800 Wazee St., hosts the Life of a Food Hall Party, 4-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4. “All Tayniacs are invited to don their favorite dancing shoes for a festive evening featuring Denver’s DJ J’Adore spinning classics like ‘Tim McGraw,’ ‘Blank Space’ and ‘Lover,’ along with soon-to-be-hits from the new album,” the venue said.

Moo Bar, inside the food hall, will be pouring themed cocktails like Lavender Haze, made with Bombay Bramble house blended gin, lemon and blueberry simple syrup, and Ophelia’s Fate, made with gin, St. Germain, grapefruit liquor and thyme simple syrup. Attendees can craft friendship bracelets with materials provided Dairy Block’s Blue Ruby Boutique, while enjoying album-themed personal cakes. Entry is free, but the dance floor is expected to fill up quickly, so reservations are highly recommended. Get more at .

The Life of a Showgay

The elaborate “Life of a Showgay” theme party, put on by Denver Gaylors, invites LGBTQ+ fans and allies to Town Hall Collaborative about a week after the initial release for a huge array of activities: burlesque lessons, drag performances, album listening (of course), craft-making, tattoos, vendor wares, a fundraising raffle for Lambda Legal, drinks and more. Tickets: $10-$30 are available at

The Party of a Showgirl

If you’re still buzzing about “Showgirl” a couple weeks after it release, check out The Party of a Showgirl at Lost Lake Lounge on Friday, Oct. 17. “Join us in celebrating the release of Taylor’s new album … as well as other hits from her discography all night long,” promoters wrote of the dance-centric event. Doors at 8 p.m., with tickets ranging between $29.80 (for under 21; or 16 and younger with guardian) and $24.80 (over 21). 3602 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver.

The biggest venues — those with a capacity of 2,000 or more — were constantly booked during the summer and early-fall concert seasons, with homegrown artists such as Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats and The Lumineers joining touring biggies like Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, Keith Urban, and Metallica.

While metro area stadiums and arenas aren’t purpose-built for music, they host enough concerts (and music fans) to justify inclusion here; anyone who’s seen Denver-based electronic headliner Illenium, The Rolling Stones or Taylor Swift, for example, can recall the giddy throngs at Empower Field at Mile High.

Here are Colorado’s 20 biggest live music venues, in order of size.

Empower Field at Mile High

Capacity: 76,125
Opened in 2001, the home of the Denver Broncos is also is also the largest concert venue in Colorado. The Eagles played the first concert there, but Mile High has gone on to host dozens more. This year, it has already welcomed Post Malone, Coldplay, the Weeknd and two nights of Metallica. As with most sports venues, concert capacity can rise or fall with field seating, or the closure of certain sections to maximize audience views. If you’re U2, you can even play in-the-round (as they did in 2011).

Coors Field

Capacity: 50,398
While concerts at the Colorado Rockies’ 30-year-old baseball stadium are rarer than at Empower Field, the capacity at Coors Field ensures big names and turnout — see recent shows from Billy Joel, Green Day, Kane Brown and Def Leppard. Booking has been relatively light so far this season.
Still to come: Chris Brown (Sept. 24), Paul McCartney (Oct. 11)

Dick’s Sporting Goods Park

Capacity: 27,000
As Commerce City’s largest venue, the home of the Colorado Rapids also hosted the annual Phish run on Labor Day weekend for many years (this year it’s at Folsom Field in Boulder) and the gigantic Mile High Music Fest (with Tool, Tom Petty, Dave Matthews Band and others). Opened in 2007, its concerts these days are fewer, but the airy layout of the 18,000-seat stadium lends itself to party-heavy events and dancing, with recent performers such as Imagine Dragons, Weezer and Bassnectar. Field seating adds a whopping 9,000 capacity — or just under the entire capacity of Red Rocks.

Ball Arena

Capacity: 21,000
The home of the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Colorado Mammoth since 1999, Ball Arena, is a year-round concert venue that hosts the biggest names in touring. Floor seats and section closures put concert capacity around 20,000 or below, but in-the-round shows can make it feel less cavernous; see past visits from Metallica, or Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre

Capacity: 17,000
The state’s largest-capacity amphitheater tends to book artists who are too big for a single night at Red Rocks, but who might also fit comfortably in Ball Arena, depending on the time of year. In 2025, that has included Earth, Wind & Fire, Keith Urban, Wu-Tang Clan, and AJR. Having opened in 1988, the Greenwood Village venue also specializes in presenting live orchestral movie scores, package tours and themed throwback nights.
Still to come: Haim (Oct. 3)

Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Capacity: 9,525
Arguably the most famous amphitheater in the world — and, since the pandemic, inarguably the best-attended and most lucrative one — Red Rocks is a unique historical wonder in the Morrison foothills that’s a must-visit for music fans. have graced its outdoor stage, which peers up at a wide bowl between the towering formations of Ship Rock and Creation Rock, offering ideal natural acoustics and stunning vistas. Since it officially opened in 1941, notables have included The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, U2, Fleetwood Mac, Widespread Panic, Radiohead, Daft Punk and Blues Traveler’s legendary Fourth of July run. This year, there are shows through October, and then some.
Still to come: Lorde (Oct. 15)

Ford Amphitheater

Capacity: 8,000
Not to be confused with Vail’s more modest Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater (a.k.a. The Amp, which opened in 1987), this luxury-minded Colorado Springs newcomer has since 2024 soaked up performers looking to turn their Denver or high-country visit into a lucrative Front Range run. Colorado pop-rock juggernauts OneRepublic opened the venue last summer, and it’s since hosted a crowd-pleasing mix of country, hard rock, hip-hop, pop and other acts.

Broadmoor World Arena

Capacity: About 8,000
The multi-purpose event center opened its doors in 1998 and has hosted classical music, bull riding, circuses, the Harlem Globetrotters, religious gatherings and, of course, tunes from acts such as Carrie Underwood, Alan Jackson, and Elton John.
Still to come: Alice Cooper and Judas Priest (Oct. 10), and A Day to Remember and Yellowcard (Oct. 28)

Blue FCU Arena

Capacity: 7,200
Northern Colorado residents are well served by this venue, which opened in 2003 as the Budweiser Events Center, and which is part of Loveland’s growing Ranch Events Complex, thanks to investments from Larimer County and others. It’s taken on more stature since FirstBank Center closed in Broomfield in 2023, having already hosted entertainers like Nate Bargatze, Weezer, Salt-N-Pepa, and even David Bowie.
Still to come: Cole Swindell (Oct. 2), and Brantley Gilbert (Oct. 12)

Levitt Pavilion

Capacity: 7,000
Situated in the otherwise quiet Ruby Hill Park, Levitt is a nonprofit outdoor venue that hosts more than 50 free, high-quality concerts each year for all ages. Its bookings since 2017 have developed into an even mix of rock, pop, hip-hop, metal, soul, R&B, country, folk and impressively diverse acts from outside the U.S., with an emphasis on supporting local and up-and-coming artists.

Bellco Theatre

Capacity: 5,000
This perky venue inside the Colorado Convention Center arrived in 2005 as part of a larger renovation, but it stands alone with its booking, which has included one of the city’s most winning mix of musicians, big-name comedians, lecturers, and hybrid movie screenings.
Still to come: David Byrne (Nov. 6-7)

Mission Ballroom

Capacity: 2,200-3,950
The flexible stage at this high-tech, artist-favorite venue allows owner AEG Presents Rocky Mountains to customize the space to different acts’ audience draw, whether that’s Jack White, Olivia Rodrigo or Devo. The layout for in-venue bars, bathrooms, and accessible seating is state-of-the-art and a welcome change from most crowded theaters with mediocre sight lines to the stage.

Dillon Amphitheater

Capacity: 3,656
This high-country amphitheater with gorgeous views first opened in 1993, with a major renovation in 2018, and has, since the pandemic, been supercharged with acts that would normally just play Red Rocks. That includes Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss, String Cheese Incident, Modest Mouse, Pretty Lights and Cypress Hill. Some shows are even free.

Fillmore Auditorium

Capacity: 3,600
Longtime Denverites will recall the long, curved-roof building at East Colfax Avenue and Clarkson Street as the Mammoth Events Center. Owned by promoter Live Nation, it has for most of the time since its 1999 rebranding been the Mile High City’s premier mid-size venue hosting rock, hip-hop, metal, electronic music and drag shows (at least until rival promoter AEG Presents, owned by Colorado billionaire Philip Anschutz, built Mission Ballroom to compete against it.) A note for music historians: it was redesigned in the style of promoter Bill Graham’s seminal Fillmore venue in San Francisco.

Buell Theatre

Capacity: 2,839
While the 34-year-old Buell — full name Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre, after the prolific and influential Colorado architect — mostly welcomes touring Broadway productions for the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, the city-owned theater also books musical artists.
Still to come: Morrissey (Oct. 2)

Boettcher Concert Hall

Capacity: 2,679
Music lovers continue to debate the acoustics at the Colorado Symphony’s home in the Denver Performing Arts Complex, but the mainstream profile of acts there has helped diversify the symphony’s audiences in recent years. That includes collaborations in-the-round with Denver’s Nathaniel Rateliff and DeVotchKa, as well as indie firebrands The Flaming Lips, in addition to standard orchestral fare and familiar classical-crossover acts such as Andrea Bocelli and Lindsey Stirling. Did we mention live movie scores from “Jurassic Park,” “Star Wars,” “Home Alone 2” and others?
Still to come: Latin Beats: Sonidos de las Américas (Sept. 25)

Ellie Caulkins Opera House

Capacity: 2,200
One of Colorado’s oldest venues is also its most majestic, hosting thousands of dancers, touring comedians, musicians, theater productions, and celebrity speakers since opening in 1908. Along with the Buell (next door), it’s the biggest venue in the bustling Denver Performing Arts Complex and a beacon of classic Denver style.

Grizzly Rose

Capacity: About 2,000
Since 1989, the Rose has been one of metro Denver’s only dedicated country music venues with a rich history of launching huge performers (see Taylor Swift’s first-ever Denver concert) and bagging acts that would normally play larger venues. Rough-hewn wood, line dancing, cold bottles of beer, barbecue and mechanical bulls bolster the estimable list of country, hard rock, roots and crossover acts that regularly play on Friday nights.

Macky Auditorium

Capacity: 2,036
The University of Colorado’s handsomely renovated Macky Auditorium, which held its first concert in 1923, hosts music festivals, ballet, circus performers, musical theater, symphonic tributes and more — and has been floated as a primary screening venue for the Sundance Film Festival when it moves to Boulder in 2027.
Still to come: Ballet Hispanico (Oct. 9), and Cirque Kalabante (Oct. Nov. 7)

Pikes Peak Center

Capacity: 2,000
Comics such as Jerry Seinfeld and Marlon Wayans, and musical acts including Dream Theater, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Lyle Lovett and Hauser, find a cozy reception in this stately venue in downtown Colorado Springs, which opened in 1982, and which can feel much bigger depending on who’s on stage.