History of Red Rocks Amphitheatre

For those of us who have seen a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre we know no other venue can compare. The biggest and best names in the business have all performed here and continue to come back year after year. Red Rocks is a phenomenal spot because of the scenery, set up and natural acoustics. Not only are viewers blessed with the natural scenery, but the beautiful Denver skyline can also be seen in the distance.

Red Rocks, originally known as the Garden of Angels, is a naturally formed, open air amphitheatre consisting of two, three hundred- foot rock creations. Red Rocks creation dates back to more than 250 millions years ago, the history is can be vividly seen through the animal and plant life in the area.

According to the history section of the amphitheatre's website, Red Rock Amphitheatre was first noticed by John Brisben Walker in the early 1900's. His vision of outdoor concerts came to life in 1906 when he placed a temporary platform for musicians to perform on. In 1927, Manager of Denver Parks, George Cranmer, convinced the City of Denver to purchase Red Rocks from John Brisben Walker. After the purchase, the Mayor of Denver Ben Stapleton, with the help of architect Burnham Hoyt designed the amphitheatre while continuing to preserve the natural area. Red Rock was in the making for twelve years and was finally dedicated on June 15, 1941. 

Since its opening Red Rocks has been a dream of almost all musician to play at. The earliest rock and roll performance was by The Beatles on August 26, 1964. Jethro Tull played on June 10, 1971, which led to a five year band of rock concerts at Red Rocks due to multiple incidents during the performance. However, during this time incredible artistis like John Denver, Sonny & Cher, The Carpenters, Pat Boone, Seals & Crofts and Carole King all performed.

One of the most memorable concerts in Red Rocks history is U2 in June 1983. This performance was video tapped and released as a full length concert video called Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky. This video was shown frequently on MTV and was later named one of the "50 Moments that Changed Rock and Roll" by Rolling Stone Magazine.

Red Rocks is currently owned by the City and County of Denver and is operated by the Division of Theatres and Arenas. The Division of Theatres and Arenas also owns and operates the Denver Performing Arts Complex, Denver Coliseum, Colorado Convention Center and Crossroads Theater.

Red Rocks special events coordinator TeNeil Hartley explained that not only is Red Rocks a fabulous concert venue, but also offers a 30,000 square foot visitors center that can hold parties, meetings, conferences, weddings or reunions. This 30,000 square foot space can be broken down into a different rooms like The Rock Room (3,600 sq ft), Southwest Heart of the Rock Theatre (2,250 sq ft), Ship Rock Grille (1,818 sq ft), Upper Terrace (24,000 sq ft - outside) and Trading Post (2,200 sq ft - outdoors). Hartley also explained that Aramark Corporation has an exclusive service contract with the City and Country of Denver for Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Aramark holds the food and beverage rights at Red Rocks, therefore no outside vendors can be brought on property. 

Red Rocks has not yet released their 2011 concert schedule, but you can be the first to know by signing up for concert alerts on their calendar page.