Hippo Campus performs at Levitt. The first wave of this year’s free concert series is now available. (Provided by Levitt Pavilion)
This 2023 season of free concerts at Denver’s Levitt Pavilion kicks off Saturday, May 6, with another diverse slate of performers and genres, from the Brazilian sounds of Ginga and Bateria to hip hop from Sage Francis, opera from Central City Opera, and Spanish-language music.
The sixth season of the all-ages series will eventually include about 50 free concerts, if recent summers are any indication. Tickets to this first wave (see below for the full list) can be reserved before the show at levittdenver.org/free-concert-series — the route that’s encouraged — or guests can usually be admitted via walk-up entrances if the venue hasn’t reached capacity (it hardly ever does). The free series is expected to continue through October.
The nonprofit amphitheater, part of a national network of Levitt venues, opened in southwest Denver’s Ruby Hill Park in 2017 and annually presents dozens of shows — including paid events that help drive revenue. Its 18,000-capacity rivals Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater, Colorado’s largest outdoor concert venue, and dwarfs Red Rocks’ roughly 9,500 seats.
Levitt’s series complements other free, high-quality concert series from organizations such as City Park Jazz, which produces the long-running Jazz in the Park. That schedule is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Most Levitt concerts begin at 5 or 6 p.m. (likely the latter) and typically run until about 10 p.m. Bring blankets, chairs and snacks. All shows below are free and all-ages unless otherwise noted.
On-site parking is available, although the lot fills up quickly and cars end up lining the road (a la Red Rock parking). VIP upgrades are also available for the donation-based organization.
Scenes from the VIP section at the DeVotchKa concert on May 21, 2021, just one week after Levitt reopened following 2020’s pandemic-related closure. (Beth Rankin, The Denver Post)
Scenes from the VIP section at the DeVotchKa concert on May 21, 2021, just one week after Levitt reopened following 2020’s pandemic-related closure. (Beth Rankin, The Denver Post)2023 free shows at Levitt Pavilion
May 6 — Fishbone*
May 11 — Etana*
May 19 — Son Little*
May 20 — The Slackers*
May 27 — Son Rompe Pera, with Brian Lopez Trio, featuring Sergio Mendoza (Calexico) and Shawn King (Devotchka)^
June 4 — Central City Opera*
June 17 — Strange Famous Fest (featuring Sage Francis + SFR labelmates)
June 25 — Brazil Day featuring Ginga & Bateria
July 7 — The Wailing Souls*
2023 paid shows at Levitt Pavilion
May 21 — Violent Femmes (performing the debut album, with Jesse Ahern)
June 15 — Garbage and Noel Gallagher,s High Flying Birds, with Metric
June 23 — An Evening with Cake
July 26 — Cavetown: Bittersweet Daze with mxmtoon, Ricky Montgomery, and grentperez
July 30 — Los Lonely Boys with Thee Sinseers, The Altons
Aug. 8 — Yellowcard: Celebrating 20 Years of Ocean Avenue (with Anberlin, This Wild Life, and Emo Nite Brooklyn)
Aug. 9 — Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and Ziggy Marley (with Mavis Staples and Robert Randolph Band)
Aug. 20 — Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová of The Swell Season
* Support to be added. Lineup subject to change.
^Performs in Spanish
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, In The Know, to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox.