Denver is gearing up for a major shake-up in how it licenses live-entertainment venues, with the first full rewrite of the rules since the 1980s. City officials are floating a shorter, more streamlined code that would overhaul who needs a permit and what safety measures are required. The draft would collapse more than a dozen cabaret and amusement license types into three new entertainment categories and draw a sharper line between small cultural spots and big nightclubs. City staff says it is about cutting red tape and boosting local culture, while some venue advocates warn the vague language could pile new costs onto community music spaces.
What's in the draft
The first public draft, Council Bill No. CB26 would wipe out the current cabaret and amusement chapters and pull entertainment licensing into a single Denver Entertainment Code with three license classes: limited entertainment, nightclub and adult entertainment, according to the City and County of Denver. The ordinance text also lays out exemptions for things like movie theaters, school facilities and unamplified solo performers, and specifies that “Article III of Chapter 6 shall be repealed, effective January 1, 2027.”
DLCP's pitch and public comment
DLCP Executive Director Molly Duplechian told local media the goal is to make it “simpler and easier for people to access the license they need,” and the department has opened a short public input window that features an online survey and two virtual listening sessions this week, as reported by Westword. The department says it aims to bring the bill to the city council's first committee in June and to finish rulemaking in the second half of 2026 so the new rules can kick in in early 2027. City officials have told reporters they expect venues to be able to shift into the new system as their current licenses come up for renewal, which is meant to avoid a single year of mass relicensing chaos.
Nightlife groups push back
ONE Denver has published a detailed, roughly 6,000-word breakdown arguing that the draft's wording is too vague and could leave many grassroots venues in a murky “quasi-defined” category, according to ONE Denver. The group says the ordinance will effectively force relicensing for current cabaret holders and flags discretionary language it believes could lead to uneven enforcement unless the city adds clearer transition rules. ONE Denver's executive director and staff are urging venue owners, artists and neighborhood groups to jump into the comment period and tell the city how the proposal lands on the ground.
Key thresholds and enforcement
The proposal draws some firm lines. It defines a nightclub as a place that “operates after 10:00 p.m., with a total occupancy limit of at least 100 people,” and it authorizes background checks for owners and managers, along with security requirements that would be finalized in the rulemaking process, according to the ordinance text from the City and County of Denver. At the same time, the draft would remove licensing requirements for lower-impact activities such as trivia nights, occasional acoustic performers and unamplified solo shows, which the department says should cut barriers for smaller operators. Critics counter that the thresholds could shift more costs and compliance headaches onto thin-margin venues well before the city spells out exactly how enforcement will work.
Next steps and how to weigh in
DLCP is collecting feedback through an online survey and two short virtual sessions this week, and the agency has told local reporters it hopes to move the ordinance to a council committee in June, with rulemaking to follow later in 2026, according to Westword. The department's feedback form and meeting signups are posted on the city's engagement portal, and the public survey is available on the city's form site here. Venue operators and residents can also email [email protected] with technical questions or written comments.
