The Great American Beer Festival is ditching its longtime indoor digs at the Colorado Convention Center and heading into the open air. Organizers have locked in Denver’s Levitt Pavilion in Ruby Hill Park for public tasting sessions on October 10 and 11, 2026, marking the first outdoor format in the festival’s history and a big shift for a fall staple that has been in the Denver area for decades.
Dates and the official announcement
According to the Great American Beer Festival, the 2026 event will run October 10 and 11 at Levitt Pavilion under the headline promise, “We’re Taking the Party Outside!” The site also notes that public tickets are scheduled to go on sale in June 2026.
Organizers pitch the outdoor experience
Festival organizers and the Brewers Association are selling the move as a chance to rework the GABF playbook and lean into an outdoor, music-driven atmosphere. In coverage of the announcement, Forbes quotes Ann Obenchain, the Brewers Association’s vice president of marketing and communications, saying that taking the festival outside lets organizers “reimagine what’s possible.” Both organizers and the outlet frame the change as lining up with a broader trend toward experience-focused beer events rather than strictly convention hall tastings.
What will feel different at Levitt
Festival materials list October 10 and 11 for PAIRED, the chef-driven beer and food program, and describe a layout at Levitt that goes well beyond simple rows of tasting tables. The amphitheater and lawn setup at the venue opens the door for staged entertainment and multiple open-air tasting zones instead of the tightly packed aisles attendees are used to maneuvering inside the convention center. Organizers have indicated that PAIRED and other programming will be reshaped to fit the outdoor site in 2026.
Logistics, capacity and local questions
Denver7 reports that organizers fielded questions about October weather contingencies and hotel options as soon as the move was announced, and that early ticket alerts are already circulating. The outlet also highlights the shift from the downtown convention center to Ruby Hill, a change that has already sparked discussion about transit, proximity to lodging, and how the festival will navigate fall conditions in an outdoor space.
Levitt Pavilion bills itself as a nonprofit outdoor music venue in Ruby Hill Park, giving the festival more physical room and a different event footprint than the convention center, but with fewer downtown hotels within immediate walking distance. That tradeoff is one of the first practical issues attendees and exhibitors will be weighing as they plan for 2026.
What to watch next
Organizers say more details, including specific session times, participating makers, and on-site logistics, will roll out over the spring, with public ticket sales planned for June, according to the Great American Beer Festival. Forbes notes that fans can sign up for official festival updates to get word as soon as ticket sales and hotel guidance go live.
