Denver's EDM Scene: Why Denver is a Dance Music Capital

• EDM Artists From Colorado
• Famous EDM Artists Who Play Denver Regularly
• Denver EDM Clubs & Venues
• EDM Festivals in Denver
   

EDM Artists From Colorado 

Touring acts aren’t the only benefactors of Denver’s burgeoning EDM scene; Denver also uplifts its homegrown talent in a powerful way. Monolithic acts like Big Gigantic, GRiZ and Pretty Lights rose to prominence with the support of Denver’s EDM community, cutting their teeth through one iconic local venue to the next, ascending to festival headliners in the process. Newer faces like Clozee, Mersiv, SoDown and Lane 8 have made quick names for themselves with their respective brands of EDM, establishing loyal fanbases in Denver that led them to headline runs at Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre and conquer similarly massive venues across the country. 
 

GRiZ 

The saxophone slayer himself came from humble beginnings, first making a name for himself in Detroit before finding his niche and future home in the Mile High City. The fact that GRiZ has played nearly every venue in town is a testament not only to how beloved he is in the city but also to how his rise was every bit a grassroots effort anchored in Denver’s loyalty to the bass artist. From his Free Shows for the People pop-ups to arena shows and festivals, GRiZ is a quintessential figure in Denver’s dance scene.
 

ILLENIUM

When you think of an electronic artist who has scaled to the top worldwide, look no further than ILLENIUM. A University of Colorado Denver grad, ILLENIUM has resided in Denver since, climbing the ranks of the electronic scene. From the ThisSongIsSick blogosphere to the actual Sphere in Las Vegas and other stadium shows across the nation, ILLENIUM is a success story unlike any other.
 

Said the Sky

Frequent ILLENIUM collaborator and Red Rocks regular Said the Sky has followed a similar trajectory, ascending to Red Rocks performances and developing a fervent following as a longtime Denver resident, blending pop, trap and dubstep in a euphoric way.
 

Big Gigantic

When Big Gigantic first hit the scene, there was no one quite like them, and there’s still no one that comes close. Blending dubstep and live saxophone, drums and other live instrumentation, Big Gigantic is a small duo with a massive sound. Coming out of Boulder, Big G, as they’re affectionately called, has successfully merged the jam band world and electronica in a way that hits a nerve to the point where it defines the “Denver sound,” so to speak. The duo frequently pops up at everything from sporting events to block parties and is known to give back to the community that raised them.
 

Pretty Lights

Similar to Big Gigantic, Pretty Lights also successfully merged the jam and electronica worlds, but in a far headier and more psychedelic way. In fact, one could say Pretty Lights created an entirely new genre on his own volition, one so influential and so heavily tied into the Denver identity that Pretty Lights and the city itself are nearly synonymous. Originally from Fort Collins and a dropout from the University of Colorado Boulder, Pretty Lights has always put Colorado first throughout his rise.
 

Lane 8 

Melodic house DJ, Lane 8 didn’t come up in Denver the same way many on this list did. However, as a new big name in the scene, he has continued to prioritize his residency in Denver and Colorado as a whole. A Red Rocks mainstay and no stranger to a spontaneous drop in, Lane 8 puts Colorado on a pedestal in his artistic plans, hosting album-release shows and special events across the Front Range, from Mishawaka Amphitheater to Mission Ballroom. 

Famous EDM Artists Who Play Denver Regularly

Excision

Bass music’s biggest originator, Excision, continues to show love to the Mile High City in a major way. Performing for tens of thousands each year in a slew of venues, Excision places Denver high on the list of cities he routinely visits and builds experiences around. Just look around on any interstate and the number of X’s that populate people’s rear windows shows that the love is mutual.
 

Zeds Dead

There are few constants in the world, but Zeds Dead’s annual Dead Rocks and Backyard Jamboree may just be one. The yearly Zeds Dead takeover is every bass music enthusiast's biggest weekend. Between Red Rocks dates, there are always after-shows, merch pop-ups, special guests and more. It’s not just a party, it's a tradition.
 

ODESZA

ODESZA’s connection to Denver can be traced back to their debut performance at the 250-capacity Larimer Lounge. From sold-out show to sold-out show, the duo keeps showing up with special consideration for their Denver audience. From debuting their breakthrough sophomore project, A Moment Apart at Red Rocks to taking over Folsom Field in Boulder for their Last Goodbye Tour Finale, ODESZA has proven time and time again that Denver is one of their favorite cities to play.
 

RUFUS DU SOL

RUFUS DU SOL played some of their first concerts out of Australia in Denver and have even premiered new music at Red Rocks. Nowadays, when the group is on an album cycle, they make sure to stop through Colorado as a showstopping occasion. Now that they’ve graduated to playing stadiums, the sentiment has remained the same.
 

Subtronics

Now in his sixth edition of Cyclops Rocks, Subtronics arguably may be the new king of dubstep — at least that’s probably how Denver views him. His self-branded Red Rocks series is an action-packed explosion of bass music that makes the most of the venue's acoustic perfection. Clearly, the event is a hit and has made for a quintessential stop for any ardent Subtronics fan to prove their fandom.
 

REZZ

REZZ — with her annual pilgrimage to the city’s most famed venue for her affectionately named REZZ Rocks series — is a hard and heavy hub for bass heads from all over the country. Premiering some of her most mesmerizing productions and concepts, REZZ is a tour de force when she comes to town.
 

Chris Lake 

Chris Lake has invested in Denver and Denver has invested right back. When the legendary house producer and DJ created a residency at Mission Ballroom — the first of this kind — the people came in droves (and again when he announced his debut Red Rocks show). Whatever Chris Lake announces in Denver, the people show up, and he takes note to bring it harder with each appearance.
 

FISHER

Australia’s dancefloor guru, FISHER, has had some out-of-the-box performances in Denver. There was the time he brought his "Under Construction B2B with Chris Lake" to the underbelly of I-70. Or when he took over 16th Street for a special reopening block party. Now, he’s aiming for his Red Rocks debut.
 

ILLENIUM

ILLENIUM leaves his fans guessing year to year, not questioning whether he’ll show up (spoiler: he always does) but what he’s going to do. The dance-music juggernaut and holder of the largest EDM show in Colorado history can do whatever he wants, and he makes sure to do just that. Playing shows from Empower Field at Mile High to Red Rocks, ILLENIUM makes his Denver appearances something worth the speculation.
 

Above & Beyond

Trance at Red Rocks is something heavenly, and catching Above & Beyond at the legendary venue is just a little slice — but one Denverites have been fortunate to experience in various arrangements over the years. From acoustic forays to full-blown Group Therapy takeovers, when in Denver, Above & Beyond goes out of its way to make it a treat.
 

Deadmau5

Deadmau5 was already a legend, but his annual Day of the Dead-themed series, Day of the Deadmau5, has become legendary in its own right. It takes place at Red Rocks nearly every November and has become the perfect platform for the progressive house artist to debut new stage set-ups and music — and to deliver special merch opportunities for his adoring fans.
 

Clozee

French bass artist Clozee is a recent Denver resident and makes sure to take advantage of it. Outside of regular Red Rocks performances and swarmed merch drops, Clozee is bass-music royalty, and her throne happens to be the Mile High City.

Denver EDM Clubs & Venues

Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre

Besides its reputation as one of the most sought-after music venues in the world, Red Rocks has become a de facto breakthrough venue for the next generation of dance music stars and the stomping ground of dance music titans. From established giants like David Guetta and Martin Garrix to the newest stars on the scene, like Crankdat and It's Murph, Red Rocks has found a winning formula with dance music.  
 

Mission Ballroom

Mission Ballroom is Denver’s newest indoor venue (opened in 2019) and may arguably be one of its best. From the venue's iconic disco ball to its ability to scale its capacity up and down to the clear sight lines throughout the entire venue, the Mission Ballroom experience is second to none.  
 

The Ogden Theatre

The Ogden Theatre is an intimate affair that plays host to a great many next-big-things right before they’re about to break. At a packed 1500-plus capacity on any given night, the historic theater isn’t just a step back in time aesthetically, but when EDM is in the building, it's a throwback to jam-packed clubs with sweat rolling down the walls, where you can get up close and personal with the artists.  
 

JUNKYARD

The hot new city locale for EDM is in the form of a former junkyard right off the interstate just beyond downtown. Hotter than the asphalt and rusty metal aesthetic is the magnitude of artists who are now becoming commonplace at the unlikely venue. And now with the likes of Diplo and Chris Stussy making appearances, JUNKYARD is the epitome of one man's trash is another man's treasure.  
 

Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom

Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom is for the bass heads. While far from the only genre the venue books, it does, however, stand out for the sheer loyalty the scene shows to this venue. Maybe it's the headiness of its branding or maybe it's the antique wood floors, but whatever it is, the wooks are regulars here. Just stop by their weekly emerging music series Shift, where you can often get a firsthand glimpse of new EDM artists hitting the scene.  
 

Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre

Fiddler’s Green, the sprawling amphitheater in south Denver, is growing its reputation for hosting progressively larger names in the EDM scene. As one of the few venues that has lawn spots and actual built-in seats, its massive and quirky allure has attracted the likes of Excision, Ganja White Night and Above & Beyond.  
 

Club Vinyl

When you’re dealing with four levels of dance music any given night, you should come prepared. Club Vinyl is a multi-level odyssey of club music, where there’s no limit to the vibes you can dig into and the direction the night could go.  
 

Temple Denver

Temple Denver may be one of Denver’s few mega clubs, and it lives up to the hype. With one main dance floor with three stories of balconies overhead, a gallery space and a basement side room, Temple Denver is as close to the Vegas club experience you can get in Denver, complete with bottle service that would make any high roller envious.  
 

The Church Nightclub

Who wouldn’t want to go to a rave in a historic church, where the DJ slings beats from the pulpit? At the Church Nightclub, the nights out are dramatic affairs with lasers and lights emblazing stained-glass windows. From house to drum n' bass and back, The Church lights up the dance floor from a higher place.
 

ReelWorks

Warehouse rave culture comes alive at ReelWorks. The large-scale River North Arts District (RiNo) destination — complete with a new bumping sound system — is ripe for dance-floor-filling headliners of every type of electronic-music flavor.  

The Black Box

The Black Box is a test kitchen of sorts for some of the brightest newcomers in the bass-music scene. The intimate locale is where a lot of fan bases take off offline in real life. As much as the venue stands out for a lot of bass artists’ first Denver shows, it’s also the place where a lot of Denverites first find their EDM community.
 

Larimer Lounge

Larimer Lounge is certainly not as heady as some other venues on the list, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t get down and dirty. Located in RiNo, Larimer Lounge plays host to EDM shows every weekend as part of their Open House Sessions, which are completely free and open to the public, featuring everything from house to dubstep, from locals to touring acts alike. Not only that, but Larimer Lounge is a beacon for pop-up shows and creative activations where fans can win tickets, buy exclusive merch and more — ever heard of Bass Bingo?
 

EDM Festivals in Denver

Global Dance Festival

While the locations may change, the enduring spirit of the Global Dance Festival stays the same. The three-day EDM extravaganza finds its latest abode at the completely revamped National Western Complex. The festival, complete with fireworks and internationally recognized headliners, is nothing short of a spectacle.  
 

Decadence Colorado 

Year after year, the place to be for New Year’s Eve is Decadence. Over two nights, Decadence packs a staggering amount of star power into the Colorado Convention Center to ring in the new year. With three stages, thousands of people from Colorado and abroad revel in the dance-floor debauchery that unfolds. As a massive indoor rave, Decadence ensures that the rest of the world fades away so that when the clock strikes midnight, you’re having the time of your life.
 

Tips for Experiencing the Denver EDM Scene 

Have an Open Mind and Share the PLUR Spirit 

Denver’s EDM scene is filled with vibrant and passionate people who practice and preach the tenets of PLUR (peace, love, unity and respect). Sharing love with others and showing respect to those around you, while being open-minded to the experiences themselves, goes a long way in preserving the special connection that makes Denver’s EDM scene what it is. 

Check Out the Opener(s) 

Showing up early and checking out the openers, many of whom are local DJs, is a great way to dive deeper into the EDM scene in a more intimate way — and helps you integrate with some of the scene’s most passionate fans while discovering a lot of local gems.  

Tickets and Transportation 

Join some local EDM groups via social media. A lot of the time, it's easy to join a party bus to Red Rocks or another venue, find last-minute tickets or even connect with other folks who have the same taste. Denver’s EDM scene is heavy on connection — the more you put yourself out there, the more you’ll get back.  

The Early Bird Gets the Worm at Red Rocks 

First and foremost, the hike up to Red Rocks is no joke. Second, while there’s no bad seat at Red Rocks, if you want to get up close and personal for an EDM show, most of which are GA, you need to go in with a game plan. People will pour in the minute doors open and they will stake their claim. Get there early and stay for the show — you’ll be glad you did.  

Drink Water 

If you're coming from sea level, Denver's high elevation can sometimes take a little getting used to. Hydration is key to staving off altitude sickness, so drink about double what you normally drink while you're acclimating.   

Dance and Let Go 

Denver arguably has some of the best concert crowds. Don’t be afraid to let loose and follow the beat with your heart and your body. Denver has a ton of EDM shows for a reason and it’s certainly not to stand still.