Denver’s arts and entertainment industry is poised to make a triumphant return as more Coloradans receive their COVID vaccines and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with Colorado, health guidelines relax.
Concerts return to Red Rocks after revenue plunged 96 percent in 2020
Red Rocks Amphitheatre was among the hardest hit venues when the pandemic struck.
The city-owned outdoor concert hall in Morrison had revenue of about $2 million in 2020, according to a city spokesman, down 96 percent from the previous year.
“The total loss of revenue? Well the 2019 number was $52 million,” said Brian Kitts, spokesman for the city’s Arts and Venues Department. “That’s at Red Rocks alone.”
And while Red Rocks is starting to see more activity, the current capacity restrictions have prompted the city to alter how it charges acts.
Arts and Venues is a special revenue fund, which means the department essentially operates in its own little bubble inside city government. Special revenue funds are self-sustaining; they don’t draw money from the general fund or the mayor’s budget, but are funded out of their own intake. Denver Golf is another prominent special revenue fund in the city.
Red Rocks Amphitheatre Celebrates 80th Anniversary Season With Pandemic Tribute from Caring Coloradans
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Performers included firefighters and first responders who played their bagpipes and drums for communities across the state and an ICU nurse whose voice was the sound of caring during the pandemic.
Raditya “Rad” Muljadi is an 11-year-old fifth-grader from Parker, CO. His performance at Red Rocks was a showstopper, as he wowed and inspired the crowd of 2,500 attendees.
For more than eight decades, Red Rocks has hosted the biggest acts in music history, but few performances had more heart on stage than what we saw tonight.
February 25, 2021
Denver is known as the Mile High City, not because marijuana is legal here, but because its elevation is 5,280 feet one mile above sea level.
Denver is Colorado s state capital and the most populous city in the state. Dotted with world-class museums, gorgeous public murals, and city parks, it s also a gateway to the Rocky Mountains. Denver is home to the second-largest performing arts center in the U.S., after Lincoln Center in New York, and is frequently cited as a top city for singles.
Sports fans can watch the Denver Broncos play football, the Colorado Rockies play baseball, or the Denver Nuggets play basketball. Prefer hockey or soccer? Check out the Colorado Avalanche or Denver Outlaws. Looking to get some exercise? Take a hike in the Rocky Mountains or hit the nearby ski slopes.