Denver's increasingly popular Outside Festival is ushering in a fresh era with a name change and a shift in venue for its third annual event. Now dubbed Outside Days, the 2026 festival is slated to take over the Auraria Campus from May 28 through May 31, adjusting to accommodate the ongoing construction at its former home, the Civic Center Park. This development was confirmed by Boulder-based Outside Inc., organizers of the event, and affirmed in comprehensive coverage by 9News.
While expanding its footprint, Outside Days will also amplify its program from a two-day to a three-day music festival featuring an array of live music performances from May 29-31. The preceding two days, May 28-29, are reserved for an outdoor industry conference boasting workshops, networking opportunities, and discussions aimed at outdoor professionals. The array of activities will encompass film screenings, culinary events, wellness programming, gear demonstrations, and interactive outdoor experiences, as reported by Denver Business Journal.
In an interview, Christopher Jerard, head of the festival, offered insights into the strategic move, suggesting that the event is aligning more closely with its vision. “The whole longtime vision has always been to take over as much of downtown that the global outdoor community could fill, from Confluence to Civic Center,” Jerard told The Colorado Sun. The relocation from Civic Center was spurred by city-led renovations estimated at $50 million, causing the verdant hub to be off-limits until the summer of 2027.
The magnitude of Outside Days cannot be overstated, as last year the fest attracted over 35,000 attendees, effectively doubling its inaugural crowd. In addition, the preceding Outdoor Summit saw almost a thousand attendees, including outdoor industry magnates, policymakers, and athletes. This year, the summit will further expand to include a job fair and a startup competition. Four days just stacked with true South By Southwest programming across the board, Jerard emphasized, evoking the renowned Austin event as an inspiration behind Outside Days. The full lineup and ticket sales for the 2026 event are expected to be announced shortly, as mentioned by The Colorado Sun.
