Boulder’s Unmissable Concert Series: Your Ultimate Guide for Summer 2023
Known as much for its breathtaking landscapes as for its vibrant cultural scene, Boulder transforms into a haven for music lovers during the summer. From its historic theaters and enchanting local parks to the iconic Pearl Street Mall, the sounds of the city are as diverse and dynamic as the venues themselves.
In the spirit of embracing the warm weather and longer days, Boulder plays host to a range of concerts, designed to suit all tastes. Whether you’re a fan of indie rock, classic jazz, blues, folk, or world music, the city’s concert series promises to keep your feet tapping and your spirits high.
Every year, this artistic city attracts a myriad of both acclaimed and emerging artists to its varied stages, much to the delight of locals and tourists alike. This Summer 2023 is no exception. An exciting lineup of musicians awaits, set to offer memorable performances at the Chautauqua Auditorium, Bands on the Bricks at Pearl Street Mall, Boulder Theater, Fox Theatre, and beyond.
This blog post serves as your guide to these unmissable concert series. So get ready to mark your calendars and indulge in the delightful rhythm of Boulder’s summer music scene! The following sections provide you with a breakdown of each concert series, including event dates and performers. Let the music play!
Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colorado – home of Band on the Bricks
Bands on the Bricks, Pearl Street Mall
Enjoy free outdoor concerts every Wednesday evening from June 7th to August 9th. Concerts start at 6 PM on the 1300 block of Pearl Street.
June 14: Eagles tribute The Long Run
June 21: The Goonies
June 28: Hazel Miller & The Collective
July 5: Chimbangle
July 12: Chain Station
July 19: The Sweet Lillies
July 26: JJ Brown’s Raw Soul Band
Aug. 2: Mighty Mystic
No tickets are required for these performances, see the Band on the Bricks website for more details.
BoCo Cider Summer Series
In the heart of North Boulder, enjoy the local flavors of BoCo Cider while listening to an eclectic mix of live music.
June 1: Batterhead
June 2: Ravin’ Wolf
June 4: Blue Eyed Kelly
June 8: Hana Kahn and Thomas Gunn
June 9: The Who Do’s
June 10: West End Junction
June 11: Jack Hadley
June 15: Peter Stone
June 16: Celeste Rose and Keegan MacDonald
July 24: The Lofty Pines
July 9: Cat 5
Tickets can be purchased on the BoCo Cider website. Be sure to arrive early to snag the best seats!
Boulder Theater
The historic Boulder Theater in downtown Boulder has a rich history and a vibrant present. It has been a cornerstone of the Boulder arts scene for decades and has been a gathering place for live entertainment since it opened in 1906.
June 3: Michael Franti & Spearhead
June 23: Gaelic Storm
June 30: Melvin Seals and JGB
July 2: The Motet
July 3: Yonder Mountain
July 9: Sparks
July 14: Jupiter & Okwess
July 21: Jeff Tweedy
July 31: Dave Mason
Aug. 6: Jorma Kaukonen
Aug. 11: BoDeans
Aug. 25: Ziggy Alberts.
Tickets are available on the Boulder Theater website.
Chautauqua Auditorium Summer Concert Series
Celebrating its rich history, the Chautauqua Auditorium hosts a series of concerts throughout the summer. Nestled at the foot of Boulder’s picturesque Flatirons, the auditorium is part of the Colorado Chautauqua, one of the few remaining Chautauqua institutions in the United States. Check out the amazing acoustics at one of the shows running from June 1st through August 30th.
June 1: The Wailers
June 10-11: Orebolo
June 15: Mary Chapin Carpenter
June 20: Marc Cohn and Shawn Colvin
June 24: Graham Nash
June 29-30: Joshua Bell and Mussorgsky’s Pictures
July 5: Indigo Girls
July 8: Los Lobos
July 11: JACK Quartet
July 13: John Corigliano
July 17: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
July 22: The Wood Brothers
July 31: Mat Kearney
Aug. 4-5: Andrew Bird
Aug. 8: Amos Lee
Aug. 9: Gipsy Kings with Nicolas Reyes
Aug. 18: Leo Kottke and Julian Lage
Aug. 21: The Wallflowers
Aug. 30: Watchhouse
Tickets available at the Chautauqua Auditorium website.
Colorado Music Festival
The Colorado Music Festival (CMF) is a beloved six-week summer concert series that takes place annually in Boulder, Colorado. The festival is highly acclaimed and features world-class orchestral and chamber music in the beautiful setting of the historic Chautauqua Auditorium.
First established in 1976, the CMF quickly became a major player in Boulder’s vibrant music scene and has since drawn internationally renowned musicians to Boulder each summer. The event is traditionally held from late June through early August.
The concert programming at the CMF is broad and varied, featuring a mixture of classical works, new compositions, and innovative arrangements. The festival often includes both full orchestra concerts and more intimate chamber performances. Each season typically revolves around a specific theme, with past themes including “Music of the Americas” and “Rediscovered Masters.”
One of the key components of the CMF is its resident orchestra. The festival orchestra comprises top-tier musicians from major orchestras, universities, and chamber ensembles across the country. They come together for the summer season to deliver an exceptional series of performances under the direction of the festival’s music director.
In addition to the main concert series, the Colorado Music Festival also provides education and outreach programs. These initiatives include family concerts, young people’s concerts, master classes, pre-concert talks, and open rehearsals, ensuring the festival reaches a wide range of audience members and contributes to music education in the community.
The setting of the CMF, the Chautauqua Auditorium, contributes significantly to the festival’s charm. The historic venue, with its stunning backdrop of the Flatirons, provides excellent acoustics and a unique, intimate atmosphere for festival performances.
June 29-30: Joshua Bell and Mussorgsky’s Pictures
July 2: Peter and the Wolf + Goodnight Moon
July 6-7: Racmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and Symphony No. 3
July 9: Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and Symphonic Dances
July 11: JACK Quartet
July 13: John Corigliano
July 18: Brentano String Quartet
July 20-21: Michael Christie
July 23: All Mozart
July 25: Brahms, Britten and Poulenc
July 27-28: Brahms 2 and Shostakovich
July 30: Schumann’s Piano Concerto
Aug. 1: Beethoven, Debussy and Dvorak
Aug. 3: Joshua Bell and Debussy’s La Mer
Aug. 6: Joshua Bell and Mahler 1
Get your tickets on the Colorado Music Festival website.
Concerts in the Park
The nationally award-winning Boulder Concert Band has a rich history of over 145 years. It comprises more than fifty volunteer musicians from the business, professional, and educational communities in the Boulder, Longmont and Denver metro areas.
The Boulder Concert Band offers free concerts in various Boulder Parks on Monday evenings from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Bring a picnic supper and invite family and friends to enjoy this old-fashioned summer activity. Donations are welcome, of course!
May 28: Glen Huntington Bandshell, Boulder Central Park, Memorial Weekend Remembrance concert, from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
June 12th: East Palo Park, 4340 Corriente Dr., Boulder, 80301
June 19th: East Boulder Community Park, 5660 Sioux Dr., Boulder, 80303
June 26th: North Boulder Park, 800 Dellwood Ave., Boulder, 80304
July 3rd: Harlow Platts Park/Viele Lake, 1360 Gillaspie Dr., Boulder, 80305 (between the lake and Gillaspie Dr.)
July 4th: Coal Creek Golf Course, 585 W. Dillon Rd. Louisville, 80027, Louisville 4th of July Fireworks Show – 7:15 pm until fireworks begin
July 10th: Scott Carpenter Park, 1505 30th St., Boulder, 80303
July 17th: Salberg Park, 3045 19th St, Boulder, 80304
July 24th: Martin Park, 36th Street & Eastman Avenue, Boulder, 80305
July 31st: Chautauqua Park, Baseline Rd. & 9th St., Boulder, 80302
August: 6:30 p.m. Private concert/ice cream social for Frasier Meadows Retirement Community.
Learn more about the Boulder Concert Band on their website.
Fox Theatre
The Fox Theatre is located on “The Hill” district at 1135 13th Street, Boulder, CO. The venue opened in 1926 as the Rialto Theatre. Over the years, it has been used as a movie theater, a dinner theater, and finally a concert venue. The Fox was renovated and reopened in 1991 and quickly gained a reputation as one of the best places to see live music in Colorado.
June 1: Caitlyn Smith
June 3: Wood Belly
June 4: Michael Franti and Spearhead
June 10: Leadville Cherokee
June 23: Cream Cheese Accident
June 24: Equanimous and Kr3ture
June 29: MonoNeon
July 1: Steely Dead
July 2: Spafford
July 15: Colorado’s Finest Underground Hip-Hop
July 21: Arlo McKinley
July 29: Youth Lagoon
Aug. 9: Satsang
Aug. 17: The Dave Matthews Tribute Band.
Tickets are available on the Fox Theatre website.
The Velvet Elk
This space at 2037 13th Street, has been home to many Boulder businesses including a Cadillac dealership, a bowling alley, a long-standing travel agency, and now a palace of music and fun.
June 3: Bear Hat with Elle Michelle’s Grateful Holler
June 9: Armchair Boogie with Ghost Town Drifters
June 22: Alpenglow with Grant Livingston & Friends
June 29: Sqwerv and Lunar Ticks
June 30: DeadPhish Orchestra
July 7: Lady Romeo and Amaryllis
July 8: High Lonesome with Fastfloyd
July 14: Maygen & The Birdwatcher
July 20: Flash Mountain Flood and RADO.
Get details and purchase tickets on the Velvet Elk website.
Roots Music Project
Roots Music Project’s nonprofit mission is to foster the local scene for musicians, fans, and venues.
June 3: Mile High Stash live podcast interview
June 4: FastFloyd and Foggy Mountain Spaceship
June 9: Funk You
June 29: Reed Foehl
June 30: David Lawrence and The Spoonful
July 1: Joslyn and The Sweet Compression
July 2: Dave McMurray
July 8: A.J. Fullerton
July 14: Johnny and The Mongrels
July 18: Liz Barnez
Aug. 5: Jeff Crosby
Aug. 12: Bob Margolin.
Get more details on their website.
Trident Booksellers & Cafe
A Boulder original, this inclusive and independent coffeehouse hosts live music, poetry, performances and events at 940 Pearl Street.
June 3: Recorduroy
June 16: Matthew Hecht
June 23: Alex Wirth
June 30: Mercy Club
July 7: Ingrid Avison
July 13: Justin Howl
July 22: Strangebyrds
July 29: Annie and the Big Band
Aug. 3: Peter Stone
Learn more about Trident Bookseller & Cafe on their website.
Twenty Ninth Street Summer of Love Concert Series
Gather outdoors at the Twenty Ninth Street Mall for live music every Friday night starting July 7 through August 25, from 6-8pm. In addition to live music, they will have a beer garden, cornhole, and food trucks.
July 7: Face
July 14: Chris Daniels & the Kings
July 21: Jacob Larson
July 28: Daddyblue
August 4: Hunter Hamilton
August 11: Quemando Salsa
August 18: Cody Qualls
August 25: Hazel Miller
Learn more on the Twenty Ninth Street website.
