Tunes on an outdoor patio under the Colorado sunshine. Lively shows featuring big names beneath bright lights and night skies. Casual afternoons downtown catching impromptu, pop-up classical performances thanks to the students at Aspen Music School. Days spent exploring the high country followed by a show in the heart of Aspen. It all sounds a little bit more special in the mountains, and in the summertime, when the weather allows for shows in every kind of setting. Here’s your guide to catching the best live music this summer while visiting Aspen Snowmass.
Bluegrass Sundays
Hike, run, or take the Silver Queen gondola up to the Sundeck atop Aspen Mountain for some afternoon pickin’ on Sunday afternoons. Grab a bite and a beverage and soak in the views at 11,000 feet every Sunday from mid-July through the end of September from noon to 3pm. Bands will include Elle Michell’s Grateful Holler, Deer Creek Sharp Shooters, Liver Down the River, Orchard Creek Bluegrass Band, The Dirty Grass Players, and more.
Snowmass Concert Series
Featuring live outdoor music on Fanny Hill, the Snowmass Free Concert Series is a weekly event both locals and visitors look forward to every Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30pm all summer long. Mark your calendars and bring your blankets to enjoy a wide range of music, including acts from artists like Don Chicharron, Robert Jon & the Wreck, James Hunter, Chicago Farmer, LowDown Brass Band, and many more. From Bluegrass and Country to Chicano funk and Reggae, Snowmass is the place to be on Thursday evenings.
Jazz Aspen Snowmass
Jazz Aspen Snowmass, also known as “JAS,” offers a weekend of performances across 10 divers venues including the Belly Up, the Wheeler Opera House, 39 Degrees at W Hotel, Limelight Hotel, the Bad Harriet, located downstairs at the Hotel Jerome, and more. Catch acts like American Jam Band, Galactic and blues artist Ruthie Foster at Belly Up, GRAMMY-winner and Latin Jazz artist Eliane Elias at Wheeler Opera House, keyboard and organ legend Tony Monaco at Bon Bon, plus many more. Whether you choose to go to one show or get a VIP pass to access all of them, JAS June Experience is an opportunity to discover new artists and venues and enjoy global sounds in your favorite mountain town.
Jazz Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Experience
One of the most popular annual musical events in the Roaring Fork Valley, the JAS Labor Day Experience takes place in beautiful Town Park in Snowmass, with ski slopes covered in green as its backdrop. This year, get ready for a big-name lineup including Foo Fighters, The Lumineers, Old Dominion, Billy Idol, Brothers Osborne, Grace Potter, James Bay, and Jade Jackson. Get single-day tickets or opt for a full weekend pass.
Belly Up
Belly Up Aspen is an intimate venue that features A-list artists year-round. This summer, catch major DJ sets from dance-party phenoms like Ghostland Observatory and Odesza. Live bands more your thing? See performers like Gary Clark Jr., Caamp, The Heavy Heavy, Railroad Earth, and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Conveniently located next to Ruby Station downtown, Belly Up makes it easy to come from anywhere in the Valley to grab dinner or drinks before seeing a show at one of Aspen’s most iconic, intimate venues.
Aspen Music Festival (Ongoing)
In 1949, with the help of Aspen Skiing Company co-founders Walter and Elizabeth Paepcke, Aspen hosted the Goethe Bicentennial, a gathering of great minds, musicians, and artists that spawned the creation of both the Aspen Music Festival and the Aspen Institute. Today, the Aspen Music Festival and School hosts a summer season of music annually with shows across Aspen. Get tickets to see multiple performances by artists ranging from esteemed orchestras to jazz performers in the legendary Benedict Music Tent and Harris Concert Hall or at smaller locales located up and down the Roaring Fork Valley. Summer in Aspen sounds like the Aspen Music Festival—don’t miss the opportunity to see one of these shows this season.
Music on the Mountain Classical Saturdays
From atop Aspen Mountain on Richmond Ridge, relax to classical showcases put on by the students of the world-renowned Aspen Music Festival & School. The concerts are free to anyone who purchases a gondola ticket and begin at 1pm on Saturdays, so make your way to the top of Aspen and get lost in the views and the beautiful melodies created by the next generation of brass, woodwind, string, piano, and vocal masters.
Find Live Music Down Valley
Spending your warmer months in other areas within the Roaring Fork Valley? Enjoy a wide range of performances and musical events at The Arts Center at Willits (TACAW), the Lions Park outdoor stage located in Basalt, or one of the lively shows hosted by KDNK, the community radio station, at Sopris Park in Carbondale.
Arts and Culture Guide
Arts and Culture Guide
Aspen often gets ample attention for its dynamic roster of arts-oriented events and cultural institutions, but Snowmass Village and the greater Roaring Fork Valley offer plenty of places to satisfy your curiosity as well. Discover it all with our Arts & Culture Guide.